Dragon's Flight
by Xakada
Summary: A different world. A different weapon. A different enemy. Will the hero remember why he hopes for the best or succumb to the wrathful flames of the beast? (AU)
1. Prologue: Silencing the Behemoth

**Dragon's Flight**

 **Prologue**

Silencing the Behemoth

* * *

 _Gaea/Year 914/Tamur Ocean/Evening_

"GOTCHA, you little mongrel!" Ray shouted with triumph as the grouper thrashed on the surface of the water, stubbornly clinging onto the hooked worm.

"Hot damn, that's the biggest one today!" Mike exclaimed as Ray reeled in the line, the grouper losing strength. The boat rocked as the struggle endured. With one final tug, Ray pulled the grouper out of the water and into the boat.

"Best catch yet!" Ray said with pride as he threw the flapping fish into a container loaded with other fish. "All right, that's enough for today, wouldn't you say?"

"Yep," Mike replied as he gazed at the setting sun, its colors radiating off the scattered clouds. "Think we'll make it back to the port in half an hour if we book it?"

"I hope so," said Ray as he checked the fuel gauge on the boat motor. "Give me a minute to refuel 'er up."

As Ray got fuel from the front of the boat and started filling the motor, Mike continued looking out to the evening sky. He observed the horizon, looking out for any islands. He saw some small sandy ones poking out, but apart from that, nothing but the orange color of the sunset beating down on-

"Huh. Hey, Ray, you see that?"

"What?" said Ray as he stopped pouring fuel and turned to look in the direction that Mike was motioning towards. Far off, almost on the edge of the horizon, there was an island-looking mass that seemed to be moving by itself. It had sharp-looking rocks protruding from it, making the mass look something like a miniature mountain range.

"Well, I'll be damned. What do you suppose that thing is?"

"I dunno. Could be a chunk of rock or part of a cliff gone adrift. It's moving rather quick, though." Mike observed. As the mass continued gliding across the water, Mike saw rises in the water coming toward them.

"Heads up! We got some waves coming."

"Aight," Ray replied as he set the canister of fuel down. As soon as the fuel was firmly seated on the boat floor, the first wave hit fast and quite hard for its size. Mike yelped in surprise while Ray almost lost his footing.

"Get down, Ray!"

Ray sat down in the boat and braced himself as more waves jossed the boat. It seemed like the boat was being barraged by water for an hour, even though in reality it probably lasted only thirty seconds. Finally, the waves stopped hitting, leaving Ray and Mike shaken around in a boat still bobbing in the unsteady water.

"Lordy…what the hell kind of waves were those?" Mike stammered as he sat back up in the boat.

"Hell if I know. Ain't never seen waves that small move so quick and hit like that," Ray replied as he looked out to the traveling mass. "Whatever that thing is, it looks like it's heading for Aelehica."

"That thing might be one of those new 'Imperial Arms' or whatever secret operation Aumilia's working on. Come on, let's get out of here before we become casualties of weapon testing," Mike said.

"Good idea," Ray smirked as he grabbed the fuel and finished refueling the motor. He pulled a crank on it, and the motor started up with a snarl. The boat began coasting on the rough waters back home, its occupants now handy with a funny story to tell their friends back home.

The mass continued its journey through the water, harsh waves rippling from it as it headed for Aelehica.

* * *

 _Late Evening_

"How's everything looking out there?" the commander asked the scout peering through the binocular scope on deck.

"Nothing yet," the scout answered back as he adjusted the scope. "Should we head back to base, sir? There's been no sightings of anything Danger Beast-like since morning."

"We'll leave when the sun's gone completely down," the commander replied as he surveyed the fleet of ships around his own. "Keep contact with our submarine units."

"Yes, commander," the scout responded. The commander left the scout at his post and walked along the deck, the salty sea air blowing against the crew. He recalled the information the navy had received from the Explorer Corps-the giant trail on a private island for military purposes leading into the ocean. The Corps had surmised that some creature had probably flown and landed on the island, then went into the ocean. The orders had been to investigate the strange incident and, if it was caused by a Danger Beast, to report it back. If the Beast threatened the navy, it was up to them to neutralize it by any means necessary.

The commander looked out to the sun, which was halfway past the horizon already. The sky had turned red with light, the stars and moon beginning to shine through. The commander prepared to enter his office when the scout ran up to him shouting, "Sir! Sir! News from Sub Unit 084!"

"What?" the commander asked as he took the warbler from the scout's hands. "Sub Unit 084, report!"

"Sir, we've spotted what appears to be a great mass moving underwater. It seems to be as large as a small island from here. We don't know what it is yet, but we're bringing the sub closer."

"Stay on the line. Tell me everything you see," the commander said sternly.

"Yes, sir….We're getting a bit closer. The object seems to be cloaked in a hard substance, like some form of reptilian scales…..Sir! The object has opened its eyes! The object is definitely some lifeform….It seems to be traveling faster…Other sub units are coming to observe as we-It looked at us! The creature is currently looking directly at u-"

The warbler rang out its miscommunication noise. The commander shouted, "Sub Unit 084! Respond! Sub Unit 084!"

The warbler continued sounding off static until another voice picked up. "C-Commander!"

"Who is this?!"

"This is Sub Unit 505! Sub Unit 084 has been destroyed, sir!"

" _What?!_ "

"The…The creature saw the sub and shot something from its eyes, sir! The sub was eradicated instantly."

The commander clenched his teeth in frustration. "What's the creature doing now?"

"It still seems to be just staring at us, sir….wow, it's a lot bigger that we imagined…G-a-aahhh!" the officer yelled as the noise of grinding metal and shouting soldiers came out of the warbler.

"Sub Unit 505! What's happening?!" the commander shouted.

"S-Sir! The creature has opened its mouth and is sucking us towards him! It's like it's inhaling us! Taking counteroffensive measures!"

The commander could hear the noise of what sounded like torpedoes firing. He waited a bit before asking, "Any success?!"

"The torpedoes didn't seem to even faze it, and it's…What?! The walls are leaking water…Steer to the side! Try to evade the suction, and…oh, _damnit_!"

"Sub Unit 505, what's going on!"

"The sub's coming apart, sir! Water's pouring in and…wharndeeanjuaaaaa _aaaaaa_ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

The screams cut off to static. The commander took the warbler away from his ear, his face solemn. "Lieutenant."

The lieutenant ran up to the commander. "Yes, sir?"

"Tell the fleet to prepare for battle. Whatever is in that water is a threat to us and to Aumilia. We must stop it, here and now."

"Yes, sir!" the lieutenant answered as he grabbed his own warbler and barked orders to the rest of the fleet. The commander marched up to the front of his ship, observing his troops arming the ship. He looked out to the sea, waiting for the creature to surface.

The ships formed a circle, ready to enclose and trap the creature. The commander looked out, bracing for the worst.

For a bit, there was nothing. The commander checked the water and saw something wrong. The ocean was bubbling, and a great steam was coming from the water. The sea was literally boiling around the fleet.

"Sir! We've lost all our sub units!" the scout reported with a regretful face.

The commander's lips tightened. "Stay at your post."

The ocean continued to bubble, its temperature rising. " _What kind of creature could make the ocean boil?_ " the commander thought. " _Something from Uaroxos, or maybe_ -"

The ship was rocked by a sudden pull. The crew stumbled, weapon stockpiles rolling down the deck. The commander grabbed a railing to support himself and shouted, "Lieutenant! Status, now!"

"Sir, the fleet's been caught in what looks like a whirlpool!"

"Impossible! Nothing could create a whirlpool that fast!" cried the commander in disbelief. He looked over the side of the ship and true to the lieutenant's words, a giant, frothing whirlpool had formed almost instantly and had caught the fleet in a vacuum. In the center, something was barely poking out of the vortex hole.

"Fire at the center!" the commander barked. Shouts over warblers rang out, and the fleet bombarded the shape with heavy fire. Nothing happened.

"Keep firing! Take the Beast dow-"

The commander's orders were cut off by an explosion of water plowing right through another ship. The ship was blown in two as its crew's screams rang out.

"N-no…" the commander gasped as he slipped and fell. The whirlpool was swirling so rapidly now that the ships were accidentally firing on each other. As the fleet hurt each other, the sheer force of the whirlpool tore apart the weaker ships and overturned others. Navy soldiers that were thrown overboard could be seen splashing desperately in the aquatic nightmare.

"S-S-Sir!" the scout shouted, clinging onto the rail. "P-Pilot can't take this any longer! S-Should we aban-"

A plume of water jutted from the whirlpool, knocking the scout off the ship and into the water, where he disappeared below with a yell.

"NOOO!" yelled the commander. Desperate, he climbed the nearly vertical deck to get to his lieutenant, who was clinging onto a protrusion.

"Can we still communicate back home?!" the commander shouted.

"We're sunk, commander!" the lieutenant shouted back. "No way to call anybody!"

The commander winced in despair as he saw the other two remaining ships fall apart. Solemnly, he grasped his lieutenant's hand and climbed over to the last remaining cannon.

"S-Sir, what are you-"

"Load the cannon, lieutenant! We're firing on that Beast until our ammo is gone! We fight as one!"

"B-But sir, we'll lose!"

The commander smiled at him. "Then we'll do that as one, too."

The lieutenant stared for a few seconds before nodding and loading the cannon. The commander grasped the controls and fired at the shape, shouting with all he had.

From the depths, a giant claw impaled the engine of the ship. The ship detonated, sending pieces of metal and human across the water. The whirlpool sucked up the debris, dragging screaming soldiers into the point of no return. The last objects to go under were the commander and lieutenant's hats.

With the entire fleet destroyed and sucked into the watery abyss, the whirlpool dissipated. The water calmed and looked as if nothing had happened. The entire altercation had taken less than five minutes.

The creature continued its swim. Fish underwater quickly swam out of the giant's way, watching it move with purpose. Whatever the creature's motive, it was one of great importance to it.

* * *

 _Aelehica-Karun Bay-Night_

"Mommy, I got five more seashells!" the girl squealed excitedly as she held up her collection to her mother.

"Pfft, big whoop! I saw five jellyfish all washed up!" her brother retorted.

" _Eeewww_ , that's gross!"

"Jellies aren't gross, you dimpleweed!"

"Now, now, kids, both things are very cool," their mother reassured them. She took her daughter's shells and put them in her bag while saying, "Wanna go meet daddy on the pier?"

"Yeah!" both kids responded at once.

The lifeguard watched the family run off with a smile as he observed the beach. Karun Bay at night was a beautiful place, with the torches casting a great color on the beach. The bayside resorts were bustling with activity. People were partying across the sand, with small bands playing loud music, drinks being tossed around, and beach games in full swing. Satisfied, the lifeguard walked back to his post. As he climbed up the ladder and settled into his seat in the hut, he took his binoculars and surveyed the water. Swimmers were having a good time, none of them in any peril. The lifeguard zoomed in towards the horizon, looking for any ships too close to the bay. So far, there was-

That was odd. It looked like there was some tiny island moving towards the bay. Before the lifeguard could inspect it further, he heard the same boy from before shout, "Dad! The water's going down!"

The lifeguard looked towards the pier, where the boy was pointing to the water, which was rapidly going down. Swimmers that had previously been swimming deep found the water growing steadily shallower. The lifeguard's eyes widened. If the water was going down like this, it could only mean one thing.

The lifeguard slammed a button on the wall, causing a loud siren to shriek over the beach. The people stopped what they were doing in alarm as the lifeguard shouted through a megahorn, "TSUNAMI WARNING! ALL BEACHGOERS EVACUATE THE BEACH IMMEDIATELY! HEAD FOR HIGH GROUND! EVACUATE _NOW_!"

The peaceful atmosphere quickly devolved into a state of panic as hundreds of people ran inland, the siren blaring. The signal system was in good shape. Not only had the siren sounded off, the button signal would also send a message to the Coast Guard so they could mount a rescue. The lifeguard climbed off his post and ran to the pier.

"OFF! OFF! EVERYONE OFF NOW!" he shouted to the few people and fishers. The people ran off while the lifeguard went to the end of the pier, binoculars in hand, and looked at the sea. The water was still receding, with almost half of the visible water having gone down. As the lifeguard peered, he saw the mysterious island-looking thing on the horizon getting closer to the beach. Through the water, he could see two red glowing objects. They seemed to shine right at him.

Suddenly, the object was completely obscured by a rapidly-rising wave of water. As the wave grew bigger and wider, the lifeguard knew that now was the time to go. He sheathed his binoculars and ran for his life. The wave behind him expanded so much that it looked more like a mountain than a mass of water. As the lifeguard ran off the beach, he could see people dashing alongside him, jumping over items left on the roads to escape the tsunami.

The wave smashed against the pier, shattering the strong wooden structure like brittle glass. The few unfortunate souls still on the beach were engulfed by the torrent. The wave crashed over the beach, tearing down the bayside resorts. As the people fled, they felt water rush underneath their feet. Some of them looked back, and nearly fell over with shock at the kilometer-tall wave that was bearing down on them. The running crowds were overwhelmed by the roaring waters. Houses, buildings, and more were wrecked by the wave.

The beach lifeguard climbed onto a hut and shouted, "RUN FOR THE HILLS! GET TO HIGH GROUND! HURRY!" He was about to shout more when a large piece of debris clonked his skull. The lifeguard fell unconscious to the ground, where the wave swallowed him.

The pier family rushed into their house. The father fiddled with the keys in his pocket that opened the underground cellar and unlocked the door. "EVERYONE IN NOW!" he shouted as the family clambered into the cellar. The father slammed and locked the door behind him. The wave hit and destroyed the house, rushing over the cellar door. Water leaked through small cracks as the parents tried to calm down their weeping, frightened children.

The wave continued its devastating rush, catching anything in its path. The few fast and lucky people that had managed to reach the hills were trapped between a wave and a hard place. Screams and cries echoed in the night air as the wave slammed against the hills, crushing any remaining survivors. The water finally settled as the sun's light vanished completely, leaving the moon to shine its gaze on the destruction below. Bodies and debris floated in the dirty water as it began to recede. At first a slow crawl, the water began to rush rapidly back to the ocean where it came. In less than a minute, the water had been sucked back into the ocean.

The cellar door opened, and the pier family slowly crawled out, shocked by the sight before them. Debris and people lay everywhere. Nearby, the son gasped as he saw the lifeguard's drowned corpse nearby. The mother comforted her children while the father started running around, yelling for help. For a few minutes, there was nothing but the eerie quiet of a post-disaster landscape. Then, the family heard rotating wings over them. They looked up, and saw two aerochoppers approaching them…

* * *

"Yeah, a tsunami just hit Ounra. There's bodies everywhere. Town's totaled," the coast guard officer reported on his warbler as he guided his aerochopper over the ruined town. "Looking for survivors. Over."

"You see anybody yet?!" his partner yelled through the open structure of the aerochopper.

"Hold on, Jim, I'm still looking…Ah, there!" he exclaimed as he pointed out of his seat to the family waving for help below.

"I got 'em," Jim said as he lowered his chopper. "Keep an eye out for the other boys, Pete."

As Jim descended, Pete looked out for the other rescue units that were sent. Not seeing anybody, he glanced back and forth to Jim picking up the shaken family to the murky ocean, full of refuse and human-

"What the…" Pete muttered as he squinted at the horizon. There was something in the water out there, something breaking the surface. "Jim, are you seeing this?"

"I'm busy right now," Jim called as he landed his chopper next to the family.

The bay's waters began to boil. Waves emanated from a large, still portion of the sea. Suddenly, a giant, scaly long object jutted out from the water. It rose straight up, piercing the sky with its pointed tip. Pete's eyes bulged.

" _Jim! Jim, look at this!_ "

Jim, who was checking the family for any immediate wounds, looked at the beach and whispered in astonishment, "What is _that_?" The family saw the protrusion and gasped. The long object hung in the air for a few seconds before slamming back down onto the water with a great splash. The water rippled as the object rested on the surface. Then, something began to rise slowly from the water. As the water cascaded off the object, scales glistening with the salty liquid showed themselves. The object rose higher, waterfalls coming down from it. As Pete watched, his face went pale. The object was a creature, and the creature was becoming bigger and bigger.

"Jim, pick up that family _now_! Some Beast's coming out from the beach!"

In a rush, Jim loaded the family onto his chopper and began to liftoff. In the bay. The creature was almost completely out of the water. Even from the horizon, its shape could be clearly seen as massive.

"Jim, _move your ass_!" Pete cried.

Jim's chopper was now off the ground and heading away. The creature was now standing on all fours in the bay.

"Base, this is Pete! We've retrieved a group of survivors and are heading back. Do _not_ send anymore choppers! There is a gigantic Danger Beast in the bay, and it-"

Pete's transmission over the warbler was interrupted by a sudden gust of wind that nearly blew the chopper over. Struggling with the controls, Pete stabilized the chopper. Glancing outside, he saw Jim doing the same. Pete turned in the direction of the gust and his throat went dry. The creature had unfurled wings that made the already gargantuan Beast even larger. The protrusion that had spurted from the water was now swinging in the air, attached to the creature, and Pete could finally identify the type of animal he was seeing.

" _Holy mother of Yao, it's a dragon,_ " Pete whispered in horror.

As if on cue, the dragon's eyes opened, revealing two red eyes with white hot pupils. The eyes began to crackle with energy.

"JIM! GET OUT OF HERE! IT'S GOING TO-"

In a split second, the dragon fired two bolts of lightning from its eyes at the choppers. The vehicles and their passengers were vaporized instantly, leaving no trace. The dragon stood up on its hind legs, obscuring the moon with its sheer mass. Gazing at the ruined town, it spotted more rescue units in the distance. The reptile crouched and leapt, aiming right for the choppers.

"SWEET MOTHER OF-"

The pilots were crushed by the dragon as it landed on the terrain with a great crash. Tremors could be felt from the landing for kilometers. The great dragon threw back its head and _roared_.

* * *

 _Coast Guard Base-Karun Bay_

"Rescue Unit 05! Rescue Unit 07! Please respo-"

A roaring sound shook the entire building. Coast Guard staff toppled over from the tremors of the roar. The communications officer sat in silence for a moment, processing the final messages sent by the rescue units. A draconic Danger Beast had been seen in Karun Bay. It had most likely caused the tsunami that destroyed Ounra, and was now probably moving further inland. There was only one thing that they could do. The officer rerouted his warbler to the Aumilian Army's communication line.

"Attention. Karun Bay has come under siege from a Danger Beast unlike anything we've known. It has created a tsunami that has destroyed the town of Ounra, and as far as we know, there are no survivors. It is most likely heading inland. The beast must be neutralized before anyone else dies. Code Red. I repeat, Code Red."

The officer finished the transmission and left his office. Seeing the shaken staff, he yelled, "All right, let's get out of here before we-"

The building was hit by a fireball that engulfed the entire building in flames. In almost no time at all, the base was burned down to the ground. The officer's body burned alongside his coworkers. The base's flames were snuffed out by the foot of the dragon, crushing everything underneath.

* * *

 _Unknown Road_

"Are you _positive_ it's him?"

"The power of Magatama is absolute."

Deep in the backroads of Aelehica, three figures were running down the road as fast as they could. One of them was female, dressed in a radiant qipao with flowing orange hair, sun-themed jewelry and high-heeled sandals. Another was almost completely covered in a black cloak, his raven-colored hair covered by a hood. A moon-shaped pendant flashed on his wrist.

"Can we not wait out the dragon? The army will most likely tire it out," the hooded one suggested.

"And leave thousands of people to die? It's not humane," the female admonished.

"Even so, I am still in doubt that the three of us are strong enough to defeat the dragon. None of us have encountered it for centuries, and it has had plenty of time to adapt to whatever's been thrown at it over that period."

"That's why we're bringing the scabbard. No matter what, the dragon will not lay waste to this or any other continent," the sun-woman replied.

"Can we actually do it? You know what Master wanted the dragon to become after his passing. Will this not stain all his efforts of pacifying the dragon and only enflame its anger?"

"I know this would break Master's heart if he was still here," the third figure said. He was a blue-haired man with two horns. A stave-like weapon, several swords, and a scabbard with special markings on it were strapped to his kimono. "But he also wanted to make sure that both humans and the dragon were safe. This was his wish. Hopefully we won't need to do it."

"I hope so too, brother," the sun-woman said. The hooded one nodded. Together they continued dashing in the direction of Karun Bay, hoping to get there before casualties became heavy.

* * *

 _South Coast_

"We're approaching the coast now," the field commander reported on his warbler as he steadied his horse. "Over." He surveyed his battalion. Several tanks crawled along, dragging loads of Imperial Arms. Soldiers marched along. Looking good so far.

"Did that beast really cause a tsunami?" a soldier asked his partner.

"That's what I heard. Tore up the entire town. Everyone's dead."

"Damn. Is it gonna be just us?"

"They're sending backup shortly. We're closest to the area."

"Right."

The army continued moving through the brush, searching for the dragon.

"See anything yet?' the commander asked the officer riding horseback next to him.

"Nothing. If the dragon's trying to stay camouflaged, it's doing quite a good job."

The commander was about to answer back when a loud noise cut the night air. The army tensed up, cautiously looking around. Soldiers picked up Imperial Arms from their storage.

"What in the hell was that?" a soldier asked aloud.

Another noise that sounded like an animal's snarl echoed, and the army turned to look. They saw a dark shape on the horizon ripping up what looked like the remnants of a town.

"That, buddy, was a dragon," another soldier responded.

The dragon tore up the street with its claws, killing the last of the civilians. One more village down. The reptile glanced back at its trail of destruction. It had traveled some distance across the coast, killing everybody in its line of sight. So far, it had destroyed about six villages and murdered tens of thousands of people. As its eyes looked out to the distance, it spotted a marching military regiment approaching the coast. Grinning with malice, the dragon leaped to them, not bothering to fly just yet. It landed with a great tremor that shook the entire area. The soldiers, knocked off their feet, gazed in horror at the behemoth before them. The dragon stared at them quietly for a few seconds before shooting lightning from its eyes, killing several soldiers.

"FIRE! ALL MEN FIRE!" the commander yelled. Tanks and soldiers let loose on the dragon. The bombardment exploded onto the creature's scales, where they either bounced off or detonated harmlessly. Unamused, the dragon attacked, ripping up the land as it mauled the army with its claws and teeth.

"BACKUP! WE NEED BACKUP NOW!" the commander screamed into his warbler.

"It'll be there in about an hour!"

"WE'LL ALL BE DEAD IN AN HOUR!" the commander roared. Cursing under his breath, he loaded his gun and fired at the dragon's eyes, yelling out, "HOLD THE LINE!"

The dragon felt artillery bounce off its eyes. Deciding it had wasted enough time with the confrontation, it gathered energy in its throat and spat a fireball right at the army. The fireball exploded on contact with the land, bathing the army, tanks and all in scorching white-hot flames. They almost immediately disintegrated from the sheer heat of the flame. The commander, who had jumped off his horse in the nick of time, groaned as he crawled over to a tree. He stared in shock at the remnants of his troops. "M-My men…."

The dragon focused on the sole human left. The commander bravely reloaded his gun and fired at the dragon's eyes again. Taking no notice, the dragon prepared to vaporize the man with one move. Seeing energy build in the dragon's eyes, the commander stopped firing and closed his eyes in surrender, accepting his fate.

Just as the dragon was about to fire, a blinding light covered the area. The dragon hissed with discomfort as it shielded its eyes. The commander, startled, looked away from the light and saw a dark figure approaching him.

"W-Who are you?!" he demanded.

"That is not important. Run away from here as fast as you can. If there are any others coming, tell them to retreat," the dark figure said.

Blinking with fuzzy eyes, the commander stuttered, "B-But…why-"

"GO NOW!" the dark figure shouted in a voice that forbade any argument.

The commander didn't need to be told twice. He picked himself up and ran at top speed back the way he came. Watching him leave, the dark figure moved back to the target.

The dragon continued shielding its eyes until the light finally stopped shining. Recovering its sight, it saw the horned man, the sun-woman, and the hooded man before him. The dragon's eyes narrowed in annoyance. Opening its mouth, the dragon let out a long sigh.

" **Oh joy, it's you.** "

The horned man spoke to the dragon in a gentle tone. "I know what you're feeling. I know what drives you. You think that the end of humanity will make Gaea a better place. I assure you now, your actions are only making everything worse."

The dragon snorted. " **Is that a fact? Look around you. Observe the nature. Do you truly believe that humans will leave this alone?** "

"They will if they are guided!" the sun-woman pleaded. "You are one of the oldest and most powerful beings on Gaea! It is your responsibility to help life flourish!"

" **My responsibility is to look after humans as if they're my progeny? No.** _ **My**_ **responsibility is to preserve the lives of my brethren and protect my home.** _ **Your**_ **responsibility is to maintain the balance of natural energy that collects on Gaea. Humans? They've** _ **never**_ **been responsible with** _ **anything**_ **.** "

"You know that's not true," the hooded man retorted. "Master would never approve of your-"

" **Master was a naïve** _ **fool**_ **!** " the dragon snarled. " **He believed that humans would stay peaceful after the war. He believed that humans across the world would create a new world where all life could coexist in happiness. But instead, they've just found excuses to start** _ **more**_ **wars and** _ **more**_ **suffering, just to satisfy their short-sighted greed!** "

The sun-woman tried to protest, "You can't judge an entire species based on the actions of a few-"

" **And what of the other Beasts? Surely they haven't transformed into thin air?** "

The sun-woman stopped, caught off guard by the dragon's interruption. Seeing this, the dragon continued, " **You thought I wouldn't notice? All across Gaea, the most powerful Beasts have been vanishing as of late. That big oaf from Ioshuin is gone, that silk serpent is gone, even** _ **Leviathan**_ **has vanished! I know that Master trusted you with tasks after his death. Whatever did he tell you to do about the Beasts?** "

The three looked at one another before the horned man spoke up. "Master told us to seal away the Beasts in case the world became too troubled for them to exist peacefully.

 **"Ohhh? And whatever could have the potential to bring such ruin upon the world that Beasts as powerful as them would have to be sealed away?** "

The three didn't answer. The dragon scoffed.

" **Pathetic, the whole lot of you. You** _ **know**_ **deep down what has to be done, and yet your cowardice and misguided loyalty to a man whose ideals were ill conceived and proven insufficient stalls your hand.** "

"We decided to act because of the actions of a few humans!" the hooded man objected. "The entire human race is not at fault!"

" **Do you believe this problem would even** _ **exist**_ **if humans decided to protect and preserve nature? Only a minority cares about nature on a regular basis, and even** _ **those**_ **people have ulterior motives. Humans are selfish, inconsiderate wretches. Yao did not create the world with the intention to have a species trample the others into the ground.** "

"There's still time for change," the horned man said. "Care and patience-"

" **I have lived on this planet for nearly a millennium. Are you really going to lecture me on patience? And as for** _ **care**_ **, I will take great care in ensuring that every filthy human on this planet never sees the light of day again. I will feast on the flesh of our oppressors. I shall create a new world built on the bones of the ones who destroyed the old world. My fellow Beasts will never again have to suffer at the hands of man. I'm Gaea's last hope.** "

" _Please_ ," the sun-woman begged. "We can work this out. We can find people who-"

" **The only reason I haven't destroyed you three yet is because of your knowledge of where the sealed beasts are. Surrender, release them, and you will be spared. Refuse, continue defending an unjustifiable disease to Gaea, and I will spread your ashes over the oceans.** "

The horned man's lips tightened. He looked over to the others. Their expressions confirmed his thoughts. Turning to the dragon, he unsheathed his stave. "I cannot allow you to wreak anymore havoc on this land. In the name of Master, you shall be defeated."

The dragon hissed. " **You may try!** " With a roar, the dragon unleashed white-hot fire breath on the three. The figures dodged the attack as the dragon continued breathing fire at them, focusing on the horned man. The horned man jumped through the brush, gathering energy in his palm. He leaped out of the brush and fired a bolt of lightning at the dragon. The electricity crackled against the dragon's scales, but it didn't damage the dragon. The reptile lashed out its tail, smacking the sun-woman dead on. The hooded man caught the woman as she was sent flying and set her down as he fired a barrage of lunar energy at the dragon. Ignoring them, the dragon fired a laser of pure energy from its mouth. Quick as a wink, the hooded man grabbed the pendant on his wrist and held it out, where it transformed into a large mirror. The mirror absorbed the laser and fired it right back at the dragon. The dragon simply moved its head, completely avoiding the counterattack.

"The Mirror of Yata's our best option of defense against the Beast," the hooded man commented as the sun-woman got to her feet. "See if you can attack its mind."

"Already on it. _Magatama Manifestation_!" the sun-woman proclaimed as her beaded necklace radiated with energy. Her orange eyes glowed as she focused on the dragon. Suddenly, the sun-woman cried out in pain. The hooded man grabbed her in alarm. "Are you all right?!"

The sun-woman recovered her senses. "Yes. The dragon's mind is too full of malice and anger. I cannot enter it. I'll have to try astral attacks." The sun-woman raised her arms, and astral constructs of two snakes formed around them. She sicced them on the dragon as the hooded man continued using the Mirror of Yata to defend against the dragon's fire.

In the brush, the horned man knew that he couldn't afford to hold back against a creature as powerful as the dragon. Clutching his stave, he said, "Sword of Kusanagi, activate!" The stave transformed into a fine-cut sword with engraved marking on its side and crackling with electrical energy. His weapon ready, the horned man dashed onto the dragon's leg, where he climbed up the scales, searching for any weakness. Noticing this, the dragon produced cold energy from its scales. The horned man found his limbs frozen to the dragon's skin. Struggling to get out, a plume of golden energy melted the ice away. Freed, the horned man landed beside the sun-woman, whose astral snakes had no effect on the dragon.

"We're running out of options, brother," the sun-woman bemused.

The horned man nodded. He jumped over to the hooded man, the sun-woman right beside him. "All right, we need to use all the power we've got in one joint attack. If it works, it works. If not…" The horned man patted the scabbard on his back. The others nodded.

"All right. Let's do this!"

The three produced an aura of energy that shone brightly. The dragon observed, knowing that they were about to go all out on it. All three of theme shouted,

"ACTIVATE-AWAKENING!"

With a flash of energy, the three transformed. The horned man's hair was now white, and his eyes glowed yellow. The sun-woman's hair had become a literal plume of fire, her eyes glowing bright. The hooded man glowed with a white aura, his transformation obscured by his cloak.

"NOW!"

The hooded man created a ring of energy around the dragon, while at the same time a large storm cloud formed over the dragon. In the ground, something was glowing yellow.

Then, all at once, the attack names rang out.

"DIVINE THUNDER!"

"SOLAR INFERNO!"

"ETERNAL DUSK!"

The dragon became engulfed in an explosion of lightning strikes, solar fire, and lunar energy. The energy seems to explode on top of each other as the dragon was bombarded by the three's strongest attacks. The horned man clenched his fists and crosses his arms in an X shape. A tornado formed and rotated violently on the dragon, trapping it in a vacuum of power. The area was wracked by the wind and energy. Finally, the attack stopped, and the dragon's body was slumped. Cautiously, the three peered at the dragon, checking if it was finally defeated. Suddenly, the dragon sat right back up and roared right at them. The three were hit by a force of power that blew them meters away. The three landed in heaps on the ground, where their transformations ended, turning them back to normal. The dragon looked upon them with contempt.

" **Hmph. What a waste of talent. You three truly believed you could defeat the ultimate lifeform of Gaea by yourselves?** "

The three got to their feet, still stunned. The sun-woman spat out, "I-It's too strong!"

"Indeed," the hooded one wheezed. "We have no other choice."

The horned man nodded. He turned to the dragon. "Beast, it seems that further battle with you would be fruitless. You are too powerful for us to defeat."

" **Then shall you surrender?** "

"Not so fast, Beast. I said you were too powerful to _defeat_. We _will_ stop you, and I have the method with me!"

The dragon, confused, listened as the horned man continued. "Master loved you like a brother. He never wanted any harm to come upon you. Yet, if you needed protection, he entrusted us to make sure you were kept isolated." He unsheathed his scabbard and held it in front of him. The dragon growled in surprise as he recognized the scabbard.

It was a Teigu. Not just any Teigu, but his very own Master's Teigu. As the dragon slowly realized what was about to happen, the horned man announced, "In the name of my Master, I hereby cast you away from this world, and away from humanity!"

Alarmed, the dragon crouched down to fly away, but was paralyzed by a powerful force. The Teigu had cast its magic on the dragon, and not even the ultimate lifeform could resist the energy of the weapon. With the others grasping onto the Teigu, the horned man shouted, "Beast, BEGONE!"

The dragon roared with anger as the energy began warping it into the Teigu. As the dragon was being sealed away, it screamed with fury, " **YOU HAVEN'T WON! I WILL RETURN! NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES, I SHALL FREE MYSELF, ALL OF HUMANITY SHALL** _ **BUUUUUUURRRRRRRNNNNNNN!**_ "

With a final flash of energy, the sealing was complete. Where the dragon once stood was filled in by the natural darkness of the night. The three sighed in relief.

"It's over," the hooded one concluded.

"Now what do we do?" asked the sun-woman.

"Now, we hibernate," the horned man said as he strapped the scabbard back onto its back. "We three are the only ones who know where the sealed Danger Beasts are kept, and for the safety of the world, no one of this generation must ever find out."

"What will you do with the Master's Teigu?" asked the hooded man.

"I will hide it in a place that only one worthy of such a Teigu can find it," the horned man replied. "That person will be the only one trustworthy enough to reawaken us."

"But what if the dragon awakes? Will the chosen be able to resist it?" asked the sun-woman nervously.

The horned man frowned. "That question can only be answered by Yao himself. Let us be off."

"Very well. Farewell, brothers. Until we meet again," the sun-woman said.

"Goodbye for now," the hooded one said.

The horned man simply nodded, and the three ran off in different direction, each one off to hide themselves and hibernate for the chosen. The horned man hid the Teigu, asking Yao's protection on whoever would be worthy to inherit it, before going into hibernation. The army reported the Danger Beast mysteriously neutralized, and reconstruction projects began for the areas devastated by the dragon's rampage. Time went by, and the new generation grew up without the knowledge that the dragon or the three were real, perceiving them merely as legends. As the new millennium broke, a time of change was coming onto Gaea, a time that would redefine the world…

* * *

Author's Note

Welp, this had to be done eventually. After reviewing the first chapters of the old story, I decided I could do better. This chapter will probably be the one with the most changes. The next few will focus on edits that improve the narritave flow and better characterization. After Chapter 5, the story will continue on its own. The update rate will be faster this time(bullshit cannons are fully operational). Stay tuned!

Xakada

P.S. I cut the introduction because I felt it gave away too much too quickly. I want the dissection of Dragon Flight's world to be a gradual experience.

P.P.S. Teigu and Imperial Arms are not the same in my story.


	2. Chapter 1: A New Chance

**Dragon's Flight**

 **Chapter 1**

A New Chance

* * *

 _Gaea/Year 1024/Route 14, Aelehica/Early Morning_

"Help me out here! They're eating the blubber!"

"In case you didn't notice, I'm trying to get these things off my legs!"

The two villagers panicked as the pack of wild beasts gnawed away at their supply of animal blubber they had collected in the wilderness. Their payment for the week-and their lives-were in jeopardy. A teenage boy with dark hair, brown eyes, and a villager outfit complete with a white headband swung his axe ferociously at the animals, hoping that the show of force would scare them off. It didn't work.

An attractive teenage girl with long black hair, matching black eyes and a villager outfit stood on top of their cart, firing arrows from her bow at any beast that tried to jump onto the meat. Although they were putting up a good fight, it was clear that they would eventually be overwhelmed.

The boy panted, "Can't…keep this up…gotta get help."

The girl responded desperately, "It's just us! No one comes onto Route 14 this early in the morning! We'll need a miracle!"

"A miracle? How about just an assist?"

The villagers turned around in surprise at the voice behind their backs. There, shadowed by the rising sun, was a young man with disheveled brown hair, green eyes, casual clothing, a large bag, and a friendly disposition.

"There's no need to worry anymore-I'm here to help!" he said with a confident, friendly smile on his face.

The beasts turned at the sound of another human and immediately jumped off the blubber, growling as they stalked towards the stranger. The stranger went into a fighting stance and analyzed his opponents. Seven dog-based beasts, hungry, and aggressive towards unwanted visitors. This would be a cinch.

The beasts jumped at him with a roar. The stranger clasped his palms together and shouted, "Celes Gust!" Suddenly, a gigantic burst of air knocked the beasts flat on their backs, stunning them. The villagers watched in wonder at the stranger's display of power.

As the beasts were collecting themselves, the stranger reached behind his back and drew out a finely made sword. He swirled it above his head, generating a revolving current of wind. The beasts, mesmerized by the sword, jumped as the stranger stabbed it into the ground, creating a miniature shockwave of air in the process. The stranger said with a friendly voice, "These people aren't your enemies. Leave them alone, and I'll give you what you want."

The beasts looked confused, but stayed still. The stranger took out a bag of jerky from his jacket. The beasts instantly drooled at the sight of the meat.

"Here, have your fill!" The stranger said as he threw the jerky into a clearing on the side of the route. The beasts charged towards the bag, ripped it open, and began devouring the jerky at an incredibly fast rate. They finished the entire bag in 15 seconds, and turned towards the stranger again. The villagers tensed up, but they saw that the beasts were no longer aggressive. They looked at the stranger with satisfied expressions on their faces and ran back off into the wilderness, barking with pleasure as they did so.

The stranger chuckled as he walked towards the villagers. "Yaja jerky. Comes in small amounts, but its taste is irresistible to beasts. You guys OK?"

The girl stammered, "Uh, yeah. Thank you so much...Um, who are you?"

The stranger grinned and proclaimed, "I'm Tatsumi Vritra, aspiring beastmaster for the Aumilian Army! Who are you guys?"

The girl babbled, "Oh, I'm Sayo-Sayo Ferenta, and my friend is Ieya-" She stopped suddenly as she saw her friend still standing by the cart with his mouth wide open.

"HOLY CRAP! WHERE'D YOU LEARN THAT?! COULD YOU TEACH ME? THAT WAS SO AWESOME! ARE YOU A MA-"

"Ieyasu!" Sayo shouted, irritated. Ieyasu stopped his rambling and stared at Sayo with a confused expression. Then he spat, "OH! Sorry, Sayo!" He walked up to Tatsumi and shook his hand with frantic energy, shooting off rapidly, "I'm Ieyasu Gorongi! It's awesome to meet you! I'm a hunter working for nobility!"

Tatsumi, though a bit flustered, politely replied, "Uh, nice to meet you too. So, you guys need any more help?"

Sayo replied, "Oh, no thanks. We were just going back to Joyou. Thank you so much for saving us!"

Tatsumi waved his hand dismissively as he said, "Eh, don't mention it. Well, see you."

"See you too!" Ieyasu replied. The two young people went back to their cart and filled a compartment in the back with a magical substance. Fan-like objects protruded out of the cart and began propelling the cart as they climbed back on and grabbed a wheel on the front, steering the cart down the route. As they rode, Ieyasu said to Sayo, "You think that guy was a mage?"

Sayo replied, "Of course. Anybody that can generate wind for combat has to be using magic. He looked like he was skilled with it, so I'd guess he was from Kreicrai."

Ieyasu said with shock, " _Kreicrai?!_ B-B-But that place's where all the lunatics come from!"

"I'd have to disagree."

Ieyasu yelped as he saw Tatsumi sitting on top of the cart, staring down at him with an amused expression.

Sayo gasped and shouted, " _What the_ -How'd you get on?!"

Tatsumi's face took a mild blush of sheepish embarrassment. "I heard you two talking and decided to jump on. I'll get off now, if you want.."

Sayo smirked as she said, "You were lost, weren't you?"

Tatsumi's face grew even redder. "Um, well, I misplaced my map of Kreicrai, sooooo….yeah."

Ieyasu grinned and said, 'Well, why didn't you just say so? We'll take you where you need to go, and if you want, we'll let you stay with us!"

Tatsumi jumped up in surprise. "Y-You will?"

Sayo giggled. "Yeah! It's the least we can do after you saved us from those beasts. You can stay as long as you like, provided you don't make a mess out of our house."

Tatsumi beamed from ear to ear. "Aw, thanks, guys, you're awesome! If I make it into the army, please don't mention the whole lost map problem to any personnel you see. I'd never hear the end of it."

Sayo smiled. "Your secret's safe with us, Tatsumi."

Tatsumi laid back in the cart with a contented sigh, getting comfortable. "So, how long is it to Joyou?

Ieyasu replied, "'Bout a few minutes by cart. While we ride, how 'bout you tell us about yourself, since we already know you're from Kreicrai?" he asked.

Tatsumi responded, "Well, you shouldn't judge Kreicrai just from what you've heard. The continent's not that bad once you get used to it."

Sayo asked curiously, "How'd you manage to grow up on a continent as supposedly chaotic as Kreicrai?"

Tatsumi sighed. "Well, I was born in 1004 in Muko, Kreicrai. The continent, to be honest, is probably the worst place on Gaea you could pick to raise a child. My home's lush with trees and forests. We have to travel across those trees daily, and let me tell you, they are _tall_."

"How tall are we talking about?" asked Ieyasu.

"Mmmm, I'd say as tall as the plateaus in Meyen, sometimes even taller."

"Wow," exclaimed Sayo. "Doesn't that scare the people there?"

Tatsumi snorted. "Oh, please. Those guys are such thrill addicts they'll throw each other off the trees just to have a chuckle. If they aren't jumping, they're fighting."

"Do fights happen every few days, or-"

"Fifteen times a day in one city alone."

Sayo's eyes popped open in disbelief while Ieyasu whistled in awe.

"Yeah, it's hectic. There's street brawls that sometimes involve a whole neighborhood if things get spicy, and one-on-one mage fights. Mages're fond of hand chops. With wind magic in their hands, they can slice a rock like paper with one chop."

"Ugh, why can't the people there do something that _doesn't_ involve violence and jumping off trees?" Sayo complained. "My teachers always talked about Kreicrai like it was that distant cousin no one likes mentioning, and now I know why!"

"Aw, lay off, Sayo," Ieyasu chided. "There's gotta be more to do on Kreicrai than just fight and flight, right, uhhhh…What was your name again?"

"Tatsumi," Tatsumi kindly reminded. "And yeah, there's much more to Kreicrai besides brawls and leaps. While I was-"

"Hold that thought, man," Ieyasu interrupted. "We're here."

Tatsumi stared ahead, and his interest was diverted to the town in front of him. As the cart rolled through an arch reading "WELCOME TO JOYOU", the three young people entered the town streets. Joyou was a town pleasant on the eyes, with a few people walking down the sidewalks. A few carts and horse-drawn carriages trotted down the roads. Shops were lined along the sides. All-in-all, it was a nice little town.

"This is quite the cozy place," Tatsumi commented as the cart left downtown and entered the suburbs. "Where do you guys live?"

"In a small community a bit further down," Sayo replied. "I have to deliver the blubber outside town, so you and Ieyasu will get off. I'll return afterward."

"Got it," Ieyasu answered as the cart went down an incline leading to a collection of huts in a clearing. Some people could be seen leaving the huts to go about their daily work. The cart weaved through the narrow pathways until it stopped at a hut isolated on the border of the clearing.

"And here we are," Ieyasu announced as he jumped off the cart. "See you in a bit, Sayo!"

"Don't do anything rash while I'm gone!" Sayo replied as Tatsumi grabbed his bag and slipped off the cart. Sayo steered the cart away and drove back down the road, leaving Tatsumi and Ieyasu standing alone outside the hut.

"Oh man, I've never had a guy roommate before. Here, let me show you around!" Ieyasu said with excitement as he unlocked and opened the door. Tatsumi followed the hyperactive boy as they entered the house. It was on the smaller side and rather modest-looking, with a kitchen, small living room, and two bunk beds.

"Well, this is it," Ieyasu sighed. "It's not much, but it's got a kitchen, bathroom, and beds, so what's ours is yours, I guess."

"Thanks," Tatsumi said as he sat down on a chair in the living room, putting his bag down and leaving his jacket on top of it. "Did you put in all this furniture yourself?"

"Oh no, that's been there. This village's huts are move-in ready. All you gotta do is pay for it and keep good care of it. It's cheap, affordable living for working people like us."

"That's convenient," Tatsumi noted as he pulled out a large book from his bag. It was titled _Gaea's Beginning_. As he began reading, Ieyasu went to the kitchen and took out ingredients, laying them on the counter.

"Are you making breakfast?" asked Tatsumi curiously as he glanced at Ieyasu taking out a sheet of paper from the drawer and putting it on the counter.

Ieyasu shook his head. "I'm just laying out stuff for Sayo to cook so she doesn't mix up the ingredients."

"Is Sayo a good cook?"

Ieyasu squeed. "A good cook? Buddy, I love my mom with all my heart, but her cooking doesn't hold a candle to Sayo's. I'm willing to bet good money she could make dried slugs taste good."

Something thumped the door. Ieyasu opened it and saw a newspaper laying on the ground. He took it, waved thanks to a man throwing out more papers and shut the door.

"News is here," Ieyasu said as he put down the paper on the living room table. "If you wanna stay up to date on the news, you can read that."

"All right," Tatsumi responded. Ieyasu finished setting up the ingredients and sat down in the living room, grabbing the paper. Ieyasu and Tatsumi read their material in silence for a bit until the door unlocked and Sayo stepped inside.

"I'm baaack!" Sayo chirped happily as she strolled to the kitchen. "Everything ok?"

"Yep. Tatsumi here's looking fine!" Ieyasu answered as he flipped a page. "Dropoff went ok?"

Sayo proudly held up an envelope. "Here's our profits for the week!"

"Sweet!" Ieyasu exclaimed. "Did you ask for a raise?"

"You're _always_ grubby for a raise," Sayo said as she put the envelope in a drawer. "I'm not asking for a raise for a long time, so please stop asking. Thanks for setting up the kitchen, by the way." Sayo opened another drawer and took out a notebook. "Tatsumi, do you want anything in particular for breakfast?"

"Oh, no, make whatever you want," stammered Tatsumi, slightly embarrassed that he was imposing on two people's lives.

Sayo fingered through the notebook, stopping on a page. "How's omelets sound?"

"Great!" Ieyasu said with a grin.

"Sure, sure. Do you want me to help with anything?" Tatsumi asked.

"Don't bother yourself. You're a guest, relax!" Sayo said with a cheerful smile. Tatsumi smiled back and went back to reading his book. The sounds of cooking and Sayo humming a song to herself were all the noise inside the hut for the next few minutes. Soon, the smell of fresh omelets filled the hut. The scent made Tatsumi and Ieyasu's mouths water.

"I'm almost done! Go seat yourselves at the table!" Sayo said as she squeezed juice from some oranges.

"Yes, ma'am!" Ieyasu said as he zipped over to the large table next to the kitchen. Tatsumi followed suit. Sayo continued humming as she poured juice into glasses and approached the table with plates in hand.

"Breakfast is served! Careful, it's still very hot," Sayo said as she set down plates, glasses, and silverware on the table. Each plate had a perfectly-portioned omelet. They looked gorgeous, with its golden exterior shining and seasoning decorating the rim.

"Wow, these look great," Tatsumi exclaimed as he checked the seasoning with his fork. "What'd you put in this?"

"Special leaves from the forest. They keep the omelet moist so that it just melts in your mouth," Sayo beamed as she sat down and scooped a piece with her fork. "Tell me if you like it."

Tatsumi scooped a piece and put it in his mouth. Almost instantly, he was overwhelmed with a sensation of pure euphoria that engulfed his taste buds. As he chewed, the flavor changed, each chew causing a different taste on his tongue. As it melted in his mouth, Tatsumi felt like food blessed by Yao himself was entering his being as he swallowed. He slowly opened his eyes, unaware he'd even closed them. Next to him, Ieyasu was chewing, eyelids fluttering with happiness.

"Oh, Ferenta, you've done it again," Ieyasu moaned with pleasure as he swallowed. "How do you keep making everything you cook taste like it was cooked for the Emperor himself?"

"Miss, I can say without a doubt that this is the best omelet I've ever eaten in my life," Tatsumi said with certainty. "I honestly don't think I deserve to be eating this."

Sayo's face was redder than a tomato. "Oh, gosh, guys, my cooking isn't _that_ good. I would've messed it all up if Ieyasu didn't set me up before."

"Geez, Sayo, you're too modest. You could easily make a good life for yourself if you became a chef. Talented people like you shouldn't be living in places like this, risking yourself against animals to get just enough money to scrape through the week," Ieyasu noted.

"We make more money that you think. And besides, as much as I enjoy cooking, I want to spend my life doing things other than standing in a kitchen all day," Sayo sighed as she sipped her glass of orange juice.

"Just saying, you're turning down a great opportunity," Ieyasu said as he took another bite of omelet. "Hey, Tatsumi, you were saying stuff about Kreicrai earlier. What else were you gonna say?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, being born in Kreicrai, I had to learn quickly so I wouldn't be left behind. My family's men are total fight fanatics. They taught me all they knew about combat while I was still a kid."

"You get into any serious fights?" Ieyasu asked as he chugged his juice.

"Not until academy. My mom wanted me to achieve goals higher than stunts and brawls, so she sent me to school. At first, I wasn't sure about what I wanted to learn. I stunk at math, struggled through writing, and did average in everything else. My dad wanted me to focus on self-defense and acrobatics on my free time. Being mentally pulled in opposite directions wasn't pleasant for me."

"That sounds stressful," Sayo commented as she ate her omelet. "How did you cope?"

"It took a while, but I managed to somewhat adjust to the schedule. My parents encouraged me a good deal, always saying that nothing was impossible unless I thought it was. As I went through school, I got better at subjects, and I got more confident. And then, one day, something happened that made me decide what I wanted to do with my life."

"When I was about ten years old, I was studying the history of Kreicrai when something thumped outside our house. When I went outside, I saw a small bird laying on the ground. Its wing had been injured, and it was hurting itself more trying to fly. I felt bad for it, and I decided to take it in. I read up the best stuff I could find on how to take care of birds, and I helped nurse the bird's wing while it rested and recovered. When my parents saw it, they helped me make a nest for it. After a while, its wing healed, and it got comfortable inside our house. It would go gout to fly and eat, but it would always return to our house. Eventually, it laid eggs, and it took care of its babies. Then, one day, when its children were grown enough to fly, the bird and its kids left and never came back. The whole experience sparked something in me, you know? I felt good protecting the bird, helping it. I wanted to protect more animals, and even people. When I told my parents, they showed me that the Aumilia Empire had a beastmaster position in its army. That's when I decided I was going to become one. I went to school full-time, learning everything I could about beasts and the army. When I upgraded to academy, I entered combat classes. I had to fight several tough opponents with my bare hands. I managed to get through them, and I graduated academy with a master's badge in beast biology. I left Kreicrai soon after that, heading here in Aelehica to become a citizen of the Aumilia Empire. Thing is, I forgot my map of Aelehica on the way here, and I ended up wandering around not knowing where the heck I was going until I heard you guys, and, well, here we are."

"Wow," Sayo said, enthralled. "Wait, so, if you were born in 1004, you're twenty years old now, right?"

"Just turned twenty about a month ago," Tatsumi confirmed. "Last I checked, the minimum age for army application is eighteen. Seems I'm in luck."

"Niiice," Ieyasu said as he licked seasoning off his fingers. "Way I see it, you're in for a sweet, rich life ahead!"

"Thanks for the support," Tatsumi said shyly as he rubbed the back of his head. "By the way, why were you two on the road anyway?'

Sayo and Ieyasu looked at each other. Sayo motioned to herself, and Ieyasu nodded. Sayo turned to Tatsumi and began, "Well, that's a bit of a story. Both of us are naturally born citizens of Aumilia, but we're from different villages. I was raised in northeast Aelehica while Ieyasu was raised in the west. When I finished school, I left my village to make a life for myself. I roamed through the land for a while until I found an advertisement in Joyou's newspaper. A noble family that lives close to here was looking for servants. I immediately went to apply, and that's when I met Ieyasu."

"I have one priority, and that's to become as rich and famous as possible!" Ieyasu said with a smirk. "Life's easy for nobility because of their wealth and fame. If I could get some of that action, I'd be set for life! That's why when I left my village, I looked for jobs that catered to the wealthiest people of Aumilia. It took a while, but I found a good one right here in Joyou. That's how I ended up with Sayo."

"Right," Sayo continued. "We were both hired by the family, and we've been working for then for a few months now, doing their errands and whatnot. We decided to live together because why not? We're still in a working-class scenario, but I'm sure with continued work we'll eventually get a promotion."

"And then, eventually, the entire Empire will know of the self-made billionaires known as Sayo Ferenta and Ieyasu Gorongi!" Ieyasu boasted. "Good thing I'm the patient type."

Sayo rolled her eyes. "One step at a time, Ieyasu. Well, Tatsumi, that's about it for us. Is there anything else you wanna ask?"

"Just one thing. Are there any recruiting stations in Joyou?

Ieyasu burped loudly. "Yeah, about five blocks from here. Just walk out of the main entryway here, turn left, and keep walking. It'll be on your right. You can't miss it, it has a giant Aumilian army emblem smacked on it."

"Nice," Tatsumi said as he swallowed the last of his omelet. "Should I go there now, you think?"

"Oh, go ahead. Ever since the Revolutionist War began, the stations have been open all the time, looking for more manpower," Sayo said.

Tatsumi finished his orange juice and put his plate and glass in the kitchen sink. "All right, then! I'm going off!"

"Good luck, Tatsumi! Whatever happens, you can stay with us until you know what you're doing!" Sayo said.

"As long as you don't mooch off the money, ok?" Ieyasu added, getting an irritated look from Sayo.

Tatsumi put on his jacket and went to the door. "Goodbye, guys! And thanks again for all you've done!"

"Bye, Tatsumi!" Sayo and Ieyasu waved as Tatsumi went out the door.

* * *

Tatsumi strolled down Joyou's streets, whistling a tune as he observed the town's quiet but busy activity. He spotted a man sitting on a bench and cheerfully said, "Good morning, sir! Beautiful day today!"

"Good morning, young man!" the man answered back. Tatsumi waved at a street vendor setting up shop across the street. The vendor quickly waved back. As he walked, Tatsumi happily thought, _"Welll, my luck has gotten so much better over the past few hours. Hopefully it stays good for just a little longer."_ He remembered saying goodbye to his parents, how his father tried to stay stoic while his mother wept openly.

"Oh, baby, you're going to be great in the army," his mother had cried. "Please, write to us as much as you can!"

"Of course, if things don't work out, there's perfectly fine positions in forestry here for you to-" his father had said.

" _Tarman_!" his mother admonished angrily.

"I know, I know, I'm just pulling his leg, Saline. Here, son, there's something I want you to have." He gave Tatsumi a small wooden sculpture that could fit in his hand. As soon as Tatsumi saw it, he gasped.

"Dad, this is the family charm! You can't give this to me!"

"Oh, yes, I can. Each time a Vritra goes out on their own, they take the charm with them. It happened when I left my father's house, it happened when my father moved out of his father's house, and now it's time for you to take it. That sculpture was made by our fathers as tribute to Yao himself. Wherever you go, whatever you do, Yao's blessing and the souls of our ancestors will be with you as you create a new life, a new family…and so will we."

Tatsumi felt his throat tighten as he hugged his parents. "I'll try to make you proud."

"Oh, honey, you've already done that just by being our son," his mom tearfully said.

In the present, Tatsumi took out the charm from his inner jacket pocket. As he gazed at it, he could feel the approving gaze of his parents and his ancestors. Silently, he mentally prayed, _"Dear Yao, thank you for blessing me with generous people who have volunteered to take care of me. Please, look after them as they try to make their way in this town. Please watch over my parents as they continue their lives, probably worrying about me. Lastly, please guide me in my attempt to join the Aumilian army and put myself on the path you wish for me, whatever happens. Amen."_

After about twenty minutes of walking, Tatsumi saw a building on the right side of the road, some distance away from the main walkways. The bright colors of the Aumilian Army's emblem shone proudly on the front of the building. " _This is it,"_ Tatsumi thought as he walked up the path to the building. He entered the building and found himself in an expansive lobby. The walls were lined with army souvenirs and patriotic material. A few young men and women were sitting in chairs on the right, waiting anxiously for their tryout. Tatsumi walked up to the front desk. A man in uniform was sitting behind it. Glancing at Tatsumi, he said, "What's your business here?"

"I want to apply for the position of beastmaster in the Aumilian Army, sir," Tatsumi said.

"Do you have a written form?"

Tatsumi reached into his jacket and took out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and laid it on the desk. "I filled this out in Kreicrai, sir," Tatsumi said.

The man took the paper and told Tatsumi, "Have a seat. We'll review your form and see if you're ready for a performance review."

"Yes, sir." Tatsumi took a seat in the lobby near a shelf of various documents. To break time, Tatsumi took out a brochure of Aumilia and read it.

"WELCOME! We're very pleased to include you as a dweller of the Aumilia Empire! Spanning the entire continent of Aelehica, Aumilia boasts the largest standing population on the planet. As the center of Gaea's trading economy, shipments from each of the other six continents of Gaea are transferred through here, from the sculptures of Meyen to the weapons of Uaroxos. From our beautiful capital city of Vreathia, Emperor Makoto Thefaren guides our armed forces as they protect the security of our residents. Whether for a vacation or a life's occupation, Aumilia is the country that has fate on its side!"

Tatsumi's reading was interrupted by a door opening and a loud cheer. A woman was holding a certificate in her hand as she rushed over to some other people sitting down and hugged them all while happily yelling," I'M IN! I'M A SCOUT!" The group rushed out of the building, nearly knocking over another man entering the building. Tatsumi picked up another document and read it.

"ATTENTION! The Revolutionist War has begun! As we speak, rebels are hidden on our borders, waiting to strike at the heart of Aumilia and depose our great Emperor! To all available ladies and gentlemen ready for service, we need you to serve your country! Sign up at a recruitment station today, and join the Aumilian Army, Navy, and Air Force as we stop this uprising and preserve our glorious empire! Take arms!"

As he put away the document, Tatsumi noticed that the man who had entered was still at the front desk. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a black leather jacket and a strange heart-shaped pompadour. He was talking to a woman at the front desk, occasionally shooting glances at the various people seated. Tatsumi wondered what the man was looking for. Before he could do anything else, the same door that the scout woman had gone through opened again. "Tatsumi Vritra?" a man in military uniform asked. Tatsumi looked up. "Come this way, please."

Unable to contain his excitement, Tatsumi beamed as he went through the door. The military man led Tatsumi down a dark hallway. "Hang your jacket on that rack and prepare whatever weapon you've brought," the man said as he gestured to a coat rack along the left side of the wall. Tatsumi hung his jacket up and made sure that his sword was fastened properly to his back. He followed the military man to a big enclosure. It had a closed, domed roof and was lit by the light shining through windows along the edge of the dome. A large double door was on the opposite side of the enclosure. A few people in military uniforms were already sitting at a table on a raised platform, a tall fence separating them from Tatsumi.

"Tatsumi Vritra, I am the head examiner of this recruitment station. It is time for your performance review," said one of the people sitting at the table. Unlike the others, he was wearing a badge. "To be considered as applicable for the position of beastmaster in the Aumilian army, you must pass a series of tests. Failure to complete any of the required parts of the review will result in your immediate dismission."

Tatsumi gulped. He was regretting not putting his charm in his pockets, because he could _really_ need the spiritual support right now.

"Are you ready to begin?" the examiner asked.

Tatsumi straightened his pose. With a resolute expression, he proclaimed, "Yes, sir!"

The examiners were silent for a moment until one of them announced, "Begin phase 1!"

The large door opened, and Tatsumi heard purrs and growls form the dark entryway. Three beasts entered the enclosure, being led by trainers. As the beasts were guided into the corners of the enclosure, the examiner said, "This is the beast analysis test. Tatsumi Vritra, you have five minutes to survey each of the three beasts here. You must then tell us which species each beast is, what its rank is, and any special traits." The examiner took out a small sundial and wound it up. "The test begins in 3..2..1..Start."

Tatsumi quickly strolled over to the first beast. It was a tiger-like creature with orange-brown fur and sharp bones protruding from its front legs. Tatsumi moved to the next one. The second beast was another cat, except this one was more lion-like with yellow fur. It had big horns growing out of the side of its head and had three red eyes. Tatsumi went to the last one. It was a large lizard-like reptile with horns that were attached backward to their heads. It was dark grey with amber eyes and had a black oval gemstone in its forehead. Tatsumi took one final, quick look at the beasts before going back to the examiner. He announced, "I'm ready."

The examiner pointed at the tiger. Tatsumi quickly recited, "Land Tiger, C class Danger Beast. Its sharp arm bones allow the beast to run alongside its prey and stab them in the throat, efficiently killing their prey. Aside from that, Land Tigers are only a slightly stronger variant of normal tigers."

The examiner pointed at the lizard. Tatsumi said, "Marg Don, D class Danger Beast. Their relation to dragons gives certain males the ability to breathe fire. Although it is not a very strong beast, the Marg Don is a sociable species that relies on strength of numbers to overwhelm their opponents."

The examiner pointed to the last animal, and Tatsumi said, "Jackaleo, B class Danger Beast. A cat big enough to have several people ride it, the Jackaleo is a superior class of lion in every way. I also noticed that since this Jackaleo is about the same size as the other beasts, it must still be a youth."

The examiner paused for a moment before announcing, "The first trial is over! Please, escort the beasts back out."

As the trainers took the beasts out of the enclosure, the examiner stated, "Tatsumi Vritra, you have passed the first trial, and with one minute to spare."

Tatsumi mentally breathed a sigh of relief. So far, so good.

"Now, we shall-"

A uniformed woman burst into the enclosure. "Sir, forgive the interruption! I need to inform you of something."

"Come, then," the examiner said, and the woman unlocked a door in the fence. She went right up to the table and whispered something. Tatsumi couldn't make out what she was saying, but the group of people nodded in approval and made a gesture. The woman nodded and went back through the gate. She made a beckoning gesture to the entryway, and to Tatsumi's surprise, the same mysterious man from before walked into the enclosure. The man didn't say a word as he went over to the fence door and went through. The woman shut and locked the fence door and promptly left, leaving the man standing on the other side of the fence, eyes, focused on Tatsumi.

Curious, Tatsumi met the man's gaze. The stranger's eyes were steely blue, a hardened stare forged by several years of what Tatsumi could assume to be experience in who knew what. Tatsumi was tempted to ask what he was doing there, but when he saw the examiner about to resume the review as if nothing happened, Tatsumi decided against it. Right now, he needed to focus on the review.

"Begin phase 2!"

The double doors opened again, and a bunch of men and women stormed in, covered in armor plates and wearing metal helmets. They were carrying battlesticks, which were modified police batons. Some of them were also carrying body-length shields made from tree bark.

"For the next phase, you must prove yourself in combat. Last two minutes against these attackers using hand-to-hand combat and weapons such as swords or clubs. Using either magic or guns will end the trial immediately."

One of the men tossed a few items at Tatsumi's feet. They were armor plates for his arms, shins, and chest. There was also a helmet. Tatsumi took a minute to strap them on. As he was gearing up, Tatsumi glanced at the mysterious man. The man was looking over the various people at the table, searching them for something.

" _What's up with him?"_ Tatsumi thought. _"He just shows up at this place, barges into my review, and looks at everyone like they're wanted crime suspects. What is he up to?"_

Once he had finished arming himself, Tatsumi took a deep breath and gave the examiner a nod. The examiner wound up the sundial again and said, "Begin!"

Tatsumi's opponents quickly ran around him, forming a circle around him. Tatsumi took the orthodox fighting stance for military combat, with his fists covering his chest and standing on the palms of his feet. The attackers stood still for a few moments until one of them rushed at Tatsumi. He dodged the man's punch to the face, and the attacker went right back to the circle. Tatsumi moved in a circle as he watched his opponents carefully, looking for muscle twitches and flicks of their battlesticks. A woman came at him with a swipe of her stick. Tatsumi grabbed her wrist and kicked her in the midsection. She stumbled backward into the circle, dropping her battlestick. Tatsumi quickly grabbed the stick before it hit the ground. Grasping it in his left hand, he narrowly avoided another man's stick jab at his stomach and pushed him away.

Tatsumi's opponents started becoming more aggressive. Three people came at him at once. Tatsumi blocked a stick blow with his arm guard and raised his leg to block another swipe with a battlestick. The third man, carrying a shield, charged Tatsumi, knocking him over. Tatsumi rolled back onto his feet and threw a turning kick at the man. The man blocked it with his shield, and the crunch of a boot sole hitting reinforced wood rang throughout the enclosure.

Gathering himself, Tatsumi decided he'd been on defense long enough. He unsheathed his sword and slashed the wooden shield. The shield split in two, taking away the man's defense. Tatsumi followed up with a jump kick to the man's head. He was knocked into the other two men, causing them all to collapse. With those three out of the way, Tatsumi turned his attention to the rest of the circle of opponents, who were closing the distance between them and the aspiring young man. Tatsumi ran to gather momentum and shoulder bashed an approaching attacker away. He cut three battlesticks in two with a swipe of his sword and thrust it through the shield of another woman, the point scraping the chest plating of her armor. Tatsumi dodged a punch from behind and countered with a sweep kick, throwing the attacker off balance. Tatsumi was about to throw a punch when the examiner shouted, "Time!"

The group of opponents quickly backed off. Tatsumi turned to the examiner, sheathing his sword. "Tatsumi Vritra, you have passed the second test. Prepare yourself, for the next phase shall be the last."

Tatsumi nodded and caught his breath. He had done reasonably well by not taking any noticeable injuries, staying on his toes, and not even breaking a sweat. As Tatsumi prepared himself for the final phase, he noticed the people at the table looking regretful, like something bad was about to happen. The examiner's face seemed more solemn as well. Seeing the people's faces gave way to a spark as Tatsumi realized none of the combat specialists had asked for the armor back. Tatsumi had a feeling that whatever was going to happen next, he wasn't going to have a good time.

The stranger had turned his eyes back to Tatsumi, but his stare was no longer a suspicious one. He was looking at him studiously, observing his reactions. The stranger seemed to have taken an interest in Tatsumi. There was something about the youth that was appealing, but what it exactly was puzzled even the stranger himself. He would just have to keep watching.

"Now, it is time for phase 3, the final test," the examiner proclaimed. Tatsumi could hear in his voice a more subdued tone. Something was off.

"For this test, you have only one task. You must personally subdue a Danger Beast using whatever means necessary. If you know magic, now is the time to use it."

Tatsumi reflexively clenched his fists. He knew from his predatory classes in Kreicrai that he'd need to defeat a Danger Beast. Still, from the way the examiner was talking, the Danger Beast in question would be much more dangerous than the ones he'd identified earlier.

"There is no time limit. If you become overwhelmed, the beast will be tranquilized, and the exam will end. Now, then, unleash the beast!"

The double doors swung open, and a loud roar echoed in the enclosure. Tatsumi froze. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew what beast made that roar. As the savage growls and snarls grew louder, a red pair of eyes became visible. The beast stepped into the light, and a bead of sweat trickled down Tatsumi's forehead as he recognized the beast.

It was a Bekavi, a Class B offshoot of the grizzly bear. It was slightly larger than a regular grizzly bear, and its thick, grey fur bristled. There was a collar on its neck with two large chains held by two broad men, struggling to maintain their grip.

The Bekavi furiously stared at Tatsumi. Unlike normal grizzly bears, Bekavis were highly aggressive predators that were known for hunting humans. Worse, they were much faster and stronger than the regular grizzly bear.

The examiner looked down upon Tatsumi and the bear. He hesitated for a few seconds, unsure if he could really go through with it, before shouting, "Begin!"

The men holding the bear gave a sharp tug downwards on the chain. The collar popped off the bear's neck. The men quickly pulled the collar by the chains away and in through the doors, where they closed with a slam. Tatsumi was alone with the Bekavi.

The stranger was paying full attention now, looking to see what Tatsumi would do.

Tatsumi stood still as he observed the angry Bekavi, taking care not to look it in the eyes, as this would be a challenge to the beast. " _Let's see if I can talk it down,"_ he decided. Raising his arms straight up, he softly said, "It's okay. I mean you no harm. It's all right."

The Bekavi didn't seem to care in the slightest. It was intently staring Tatsumi down, snarling and waiting for the right moment to strike.

Tatsumi grimaced. Whatever the testers did to the Bekavi before this fight, it was now too agitated to be nonviolently subdued. Tatsumi didn't want to hurt the Bekavi anymore than he had to, so he slowly clasped his palms together. "Celes Gust!" he shouted as he blew a sharp gust of wind at the Bekavi. The wind blew the Bekavi off balance. Unfortunately, it also caused it temper to break. With a roar, the Bekavi charged at Tatsumi full speed. Tatsumi had just barely unsheathed his sword when the Bekavi hit him full force in the chest. Tatsumi flew back a foot and collapsed on his back. He had no time to recover his breath, for the Bekavi was already running towards its fallen prey. Tatsumi put his arm up just in time as the Bekavi's fearsome jaws snapped down hard on his arm guard. The bear's sharp teeth scraped the metal plates as Tatsumi raised his knees against the Bekavi's chest. The Bekavi's claws swiped at his chest, the metal armor being the only thing keeping Tatsumi's flesh from being razed by the deadly paws. Tatsumi clenched his teeth as he felt the full weight of the bear against his knees. Gripping his sword, he slammed the butt end of it into the Bekavi's snout, trying to force the Bekavi to switch tactics. He couldn't keep it up for long, as he could feel the crushing pressure of the Bekavi's heavy bites on his arm guard. The plates wouldn't hold out forever.

The examiner and his colleagues observed the fight with concern. The stranger kept a close eye on Tatsumi, curious to see what his next move would be.

Tatsumi could feel the straps on his arm guard loosening. _"I'm going to have to take a risk!"_ He rapidly jerked his arm out of the arm guard, leaving the plates in the Bekavi's mouth. At the same time, he gave a hard push of his knees and rolled out from under the Bekavi. The beast chewed the plating before spitting it out and turning back to Tatsumi, already back on his feet. Tatsumi held his sword out, making jabs and small swipes at the Bekavi to keep it away. This ended up being a mistake. The Bekavi watched the sword closely, waiting for Tatsumi to make a bigger swipe. When Tatsumi made a longer jab, the Bekavi struck, biting the sword hard, and harshly tugging on it. Tatsumi tried to hold on, but the beast was too strong, and the sword was wrested from his grip. The beast shook it violently for a few seconds and threw it on the other side of the enclosure.

" _Crud. He probably thinks he just killed my sword,"_ Tatsumi thought as he backed away from the approaching Bekavi. With a snort, the Bekavi charged again. Tatsumi tried to jump over the Bekavi to the side, but the beast's body hit his hip, and Tatsumi fell to the ground. The bear quickly turned and tried to grab Tatsumi. Feeling the strong paws on his legs, Tatsumi struggled to get away from the Bekavi, clawing at the ground for support. His leg guards loosened, and Tatsumi broke free of the Bekavi's claws, the plates torn away. Trying to stand back up, Tatsumi was hit square in the chest by the Bekavi's shoulder. The Bekavi pushed Tatsumi all the way to the other side of the enclosure, where it sandwiched the youth between itself and the wall. Before Tatsumi could do anything else, the Bekavi bit down on Tatsumi's helmet. Its teeth firmly grasping the helmet, the Bekavi took off, dragging Tatsumi along with it. The beast thrashed and jumped along the walls of the enclosure, battering Tatsumi against the walls and ground. As his body flailed around helplessly, Tatsumi frantically tried to release the strap on his neck that secured the helmet on his head, but the bashings of the Bekavi prevented him from securing his grip.

The people at the table were watching with clear anxiety, with some of them glancing at the examiner, wondering how long he would allow the abuse to go on. The stranger kept silent watch, eyes on Tatsumi.

Tatsumi finally got lucky and managed to pull the helmet strap loose enough for his head to slip out. He fell in a heap on the floor while the beast tried to chew up the helmet. Letting out a soft groan from the beating the Bekavi gave him, Tatsumi sat back up and saw the beast toss the helmet away and come right for him. "Celes Gust!" Tatsumi shouted exasperatedly as he tried to blow the beast away long enough to recover. The beast just plowed through the gust and pounced on the young man, mouth open to take a bite out of his neck. Tatsumi put up both feet against the beast and managed to catch its jaws in his hands. He grunted as he used all his might to keep the bear's jaws away from him, his arm quivering from the force of the Bekavi's bite pressure. The side of the Bekavi's fang was pressing hard on the palm of Tatsumi's hand. Tatsumi could feel the beast's claws trying to grip his chest armor. His legs were aching badly against the weight of the Bekavi.

At the table, the examiner's hand was on a bell. The instant it rang, the double doors would open, and trainers would tranquilize the Bekavi. Sure, the youth would fail, but it was better than whatever the Bekavi would do to him if it got the chance. Only a few more seconds would determine his course of action.

Tatsumi groaned from the aching pain in his limbs. _"Come on…I've got to get him off me, I-Augh!"_ For a moment, he felt like giving up, yelling for the examiner to end it. His eyes wildly roamed the enclosure, searching for some form of respite.

And then, Tatsumi saw a surprise. His eyes met the stranger. The man's fists were clenched, and his expression was one of want. His lips were stretched tight, and his eyes were open wide. Something about Tatsumi had sparked a desire in the stranger, a desire to see the aspiring beastmaster succeed.

As Tatsumi saw the stranger's face, he didn't know why he was so interested in him, but it was clear that the man wanted Tatsumi to win. And even though Tatsumi didn't know the man at all, the fact that he wanted Tatsumi to prevail sparked a determination in him. _"No..I didn't come all the way here just to trip and fall now. No matter what, I'm going to pass!"_ Tatsumi felt energy build up inside him. Using a power he didn't know he had, he reared back his right leg and kicked at the Bekavi with full force. A loud burst resonated in the enclosure, and the beast was blown back several feet away. The audience behind the fence murmured in surprise. The stranger's tense face softened. This test was about to get a lot more interesting.

Tatsumi stood up, panting. He didn't have enough stamina to hold off another assault like that again. He needed to end the battle now. He dashed towards the Bekavi. The beast was still gathering itself when Tatsumi's fist crashed into the side of its face, sending it reeling to the wall. Tatsumi kept throwing punches at its midsection. Gusts of wind howled around his fists as the blows rocked the Bekavi's body, making it groan with pain. Tatsumi, hearing the beast's angry howls, immediately stopped his offense. Breathing hard, he said, "That's enough. Please, I don't want to hurt you anymore. Stop, now."

The Bekavi's red eyes shone with rage. Letting out a savage roar, the beast charged Tatsumi at full speed. _"I've seen that enough times. Not again,"_ Tatsumi thought. Waiting until the last second, Tatsumi quickly sidestepped the beast's bite and grabbed it around its neck. Using all is strength, Tatsumi began to spin around, taking the beast with him. As Tatsumi rotated faster and faster, the Bekavi went from being dragged along the ground to being swung in the air, a miniature cyclone of wind forming around Tatsumi and the beast. The people at the table stared slackjawed at what was happening while the stranger's eyes were wider than ever.

With a loud shout, Tatsumi hurled the Bekavi with all his might. The beast went flying across the enclosure and crashed hard into the top part of the wall. The entire room shook with the force of the throw. The Bekavi dropped and landed hard on the ground below. The entire room stared at the beast, holding their breath. The behave weakly opened its eyes halfway and tried to right itself but ended up collapsing where it lay with a moan. The Bekavi had been defeated.

The examiner was so amazed that he nearly forgot to ring the bell until he happened to glance at it. He quickly rang it while shouting, "IT IS OVER!"

The other people sitting at the table broke into a steady applause, clapping vigorously. Tatsumi, gasping for breath, slowly walked over to where his sword had been thrown and picked it back up. Scanning the audience, he saw the stranger gazing at him. The stranger no longer had a suspicious glare or a studious stare. A warm smile was spreading across his face. As he saw it, Tatsumi couldn't help but smile back, blushing with embarrassment at his wary thoughts of the man earlier.

"Tatsumi Vritra, step forth," the examiner said with a smile. Tatsumi went to the center of the enclosure, still smiling. "You have passed your performance review with flying colors. None of the recruits before you have managed to best the Bekavi, to speak nothing of how spectacularly you did so,"

"I just wanted to satisfy your expectations," Tatsumi said modestly.

"And so you have. It pleases me to be able to annex another beastmaster into our great army.."

Tatsumi's joy surged through his body. He'd done it! He was going to find his way in life!

"As soon as you prove yourself one last time."

Tatsumi's joy froze and melted into confusion. Another test?

"This is not a test, just a simple reassurance of your will to serve your country."

The double doors opened again, and the two men that had held the Bekavi before slapped the collar back onto the beast. Grabbing the chains, the men practically dragged the beast directly in front of Tatsumi.

"Wh-what is this?" Tatsumi nervously asked.

"You must prove your willingness to dispose of an animal whenever necessary," the examiner said. "You must finish off the Bekavi."

Tatsumi looked down. The Bekavi was before him headfirst, its defeated red eyes looking up at him. Tatsumi's heart sank. "Examiner, you want me to k-kill it?" Tatsumi asked in shock.

"Yes. Is this a problem?" the examiner asked, seeming surprised that Tatsumi would even ask this.

"I-I don't _want_ to kill him! I don't want to kill _any_ animals!" Tatsumi protested, his hands twitching. "I wish to become a beastmaster to train and protect beasts!"

The examiner's eyes opened wide. "Oh…I see. I apologize, but the rules of the Empire state that all beastmasters must do this, to prepare for their roles as executioner of the beasts of the Aumilian Army."

Tatsumi couldn't believe what he was hearing. "W-What?"

"I'm sorry, but the new guidelines for beastmasters as appointed by the late Emperor Daman Thefaren forbid pacifists. All beastmasters must kill, regardless of personal beliefs," the examiner said regretfully. "If you weren't in Aelehica the past few years, you probably wouldn't know. Said guidelines were one of the last actions of Emperor Daman before his sudden passing. I'm afraid that there is no other choice for you. If you do not kill the Bekavi, I am required by law to dismiss you from the review."

Tatsumi shivered with emotion and thoughts. The job that he'd always wanted, the job he'd spent so much of his teenage years studying for required him to violate his ethics and kill whatever animal Aumilia ordered him to? His sword quivered as he contemplated what to do.

"Just do this, and the beastmaster position will be yours," the examiner said.

Tatsumi looked up at the audience again. The people at the table were anxious, waiting for his decision. He glanced at the stranger. The man was very concerned and anticipating Tatsumi's next move. Reluctantly, Tatsumi gripped his sword with both hands and analyzed the Bekavi's head. One stab through the skull would be all it took. As Tatsumi began to raise his sword for the kill, the sad eyes of the beast met his. Tatsumi's heart sank even further. His conscience was wracked with guilt and uncertainty. Staring at the Bekavi, the words of Tatsumi's mother came into his mind.

"Tatsumi, there will be times in your life where you'll have to make choices. Some choices will be easy for you while others will be very, _very_ hard. When those choices come, always remember, no matter what, to do what you think is the right thing. I can't decide for you, but I believe you'll always be a good boy, right, honey?"

Tatsumi's sword was raised high. The entire audience had their eyes glued to him. Tatsumi looked at the beast one more time. The Bekavi shut its eyes, accepting its end. A sentence rang one final time in Tatsumi's mind: "Do what you think is right."

He did.

He sheathed his sword, took off his chest armor, and said to the examiner, "With all due respect, I've come to decide that this occupation isn't the right one for me."

The examiner let out a long sigh of disappointment. He replied in an understanding tone, "Very well. This performance review is dismissed. Good day, Tatsumi Vritra."

The men holding the Bekavi took Tatsumi's armor and led the beast back through the doors. Tatsumi gave a bow of thanks and swiftly left the enclosure through the door he'd entered in. The examiner and his colleagues watched him leave with pitying glances. The stranger was staring at the ground, disappointed and thinking to himself.

Tatsumi walked down the hallway, beside himself. He'd just given up his dream job for his morals. Seeing his jacket still hanging on the rack, he put it back on and kept walking. He barely noticed going back through the lobby and out of the building. He was so depressed he almost ran into another man running up the path to the building. Sidestepping him, Tatsumi watched the eager man run into the building. Sighing deeply, he took out his charm. The small troll-like face on it seemed to be watching him.

" _What do I do now?"_ Tatsumi wondered as he rolled the charm over in his hand. _"I put all my hopes on becoming a beastmaster. Should I just go home?"_

The charm's wooden texture reminded Tatsumi of the wooden walls of his home and sitting with his parents as they talked about how Yao crafts a path for everyone, and that it may not be the one they were expecting. Thinking it over, Tatsumi decided, _"Yao, even though I failed to do what I wanted today, I still believe you will show me the way. Please, help me to never stop having hope."_

Tatsumi began his journey back into downtown Joyou, his mind focused on finding a different path, whatever it took. He was so focused, in fact, that he didn't notice someone familiar exit the recruitment station and watch him walking.

The leather-jacketed stranger saw Tatsumi. And he began to follow him.

* * *

Author's Note

Sooo…..A few weeks turned into half a year. Nice. The delays could have been avoided had I planned things out better, but what are you gonna do. Anyway, yeah, the story's not dead, and I don't plan to let it die for a looong while. Updates will be more frequent(and yes, I know this is the quintillionth time I've said this, but I actually mean it this time)and more content awaits. As always, please give honest reviews and I'll see you next chapter!

Xakada


	3. Chapter 2: A Crisis in Joyou

**Dragon's Flight**

 **Chapter 2**

A Crisis in Joyou

* * *

 _Gaea/Year 1024/Joyou, Aelehica/Noon_

The vendor wiped his forehead as he set up a fresh tray of meat on his stand. Business was as average as usual. Joyou's modest population let street shops receive more attention than they would at larger cities. The vendor had already made a good amount of money selling breakfast sandwiches. Now that it was noon, it was time to bring out the lunch meats. He opened an umbrella mounted to his stand to shade himself from the sun, which was shining warmly onto the town. The vendor put out condiments for his lunch shift. As he looked around for customers, he saw a young man silently approach. As the vendor prepared himself, he realized he recognized the boy. He had waved to him earlier in the day.

"Hey, kid, nice to see you," the vendor said. The boy smiled back. He looked a lot more depressed than he'd been that morning.

"What's wrong?" the vendor asked. "You're looking like you've had a rough morning."

"Yeah, you could say that," the young man sighed. "I needed something to ease my mind. Do you serve chicken here?"

"Yep. You want a sandwich or a cut?"

"A sandwich, please. Could I get some tomatoes and onions on it as well?"

"Sure thing," the vendor said as he whipped out a bun and put a cut of chicken breast in it, applying lettuce and a few sliced tomatoes.

"Here you go, kid," the vendor said as he put the sandwich in a napkin and presented it to the young man. "That'll be 5 credits."

"Thank you, sir," the youth said. He took out a coin from his jacket and gave it to the vendor. The coin was worth 5 credits.

"Yes, sir," the vendor replied with a smile as the young man took out the coin form his jacket and gave it to the vendor. "Have a good day, son!"

"Thanks, you too," the youth replied. He was smiling, but the vendor could see in his face that he wasn't happy.

"Say there," the vendor interjected as the young man turned to leave. "About two blocks from here to the west is a public garden. Go relax in there for a bit if you need to."

"Oh, really? Thanks!"

"Eh, it's nothing. You look like you could use some cheering up."

The young man exchanged waves goodbye with the vendor as he walked where the vendor had tipped him off to, with a bit more energy than before. The vendor went back to cooking, taking out a raw piece of chicken from a compartment and slapping it on a personal grill. He took out a flint and sparked a fire in the grill's special flammable charcoal. As he began cooking, he turned his attention away from the street, not noticing a man in a leather jacket approach the stand.

"Excuse me, sir."

The vendor looked up and met the man's steely blue eyes. "Um, hello there. What do you want?"

"Have you seen a young man with brown hair and green eyes walk by here?"

"Yeah, you just missed him. I told him to go to the public garden near here. Is there a problem?"

"Not at all. You serve fish here?"

"Yes, of course."

"Could I get a fish sandwich?"

"Uh, sure," the vendor said with a hint of confusion. He quickly made the sandwich and gave it to the stranger, who had already put a coin on the stand. "Thanks. Keep the change," the stranger said as he strode off towards the garden.

"W-Wait, do you know how to get-" the vendor tried to say. The stranger was already out of earshot. Sighing, the vendor took the coin, worth 7 credits more than the sandwich, and went back to his cooking, still a bit confused.

Tatsumi went through the flower-decorated archway that led inside the garden. He took in the sight of a pretty field of flowers of all colors and shapes. As he walked down the stone pathway, Tatsumi spotted a bench beside the path. He sat down and took out his sandwich. As he took his first bite, Tatsumi began thinking.

 _"Sooo…If I can't become a beastmaster, I'll just have to find a different job. I could try to work for myself. With the war going on, I'm sure there's need for blacksmiths."_ He remembered his father encouraging him to learn from Mako's local blacksmith.

"It'll be a bang-up job for you, son! If you're going to go join the Army, blacksmithing will help you get familiar with weapons and forgery. It's also a great way to get in shape," his father had said to Tatsumi when he was still in school. Taking the offer, Tatsumi learned everything the blacksmith could teach him, from forging axes to sharpening spears. Before he left Kreicrai, Tatsumi took the time to personally forge his own sword, so that if he became a beastmaster, he'd have a weapon he was already familiar with.

 _"Then again, if I want to start blacksmithing, I need credits to rent a place to stay. Right now, I only have enough to keep me fed and hydrated for the rest of the week. Maybe I should look for some odd jobs around Joyou, like janitor work or something. I don't want to stay by Sayo and Ieyasu too long."_

As Tatsumi ate his sandwich while pondering his course of action, his gaze was fixed on the ground. A man's shadow entered Tatsumi's field of vision. Tatsumi looked up and saw the stranger in a leather jacket in front of him.

"I-It's you!" Tatsumi exclaimed with surprise. The man smiled back.

"Hello there. Mind if I join you?"

Uncertain, Tatsumi slowly nodded. The man sat next to him, taking out his fish sandwich from a paper bag he was carrying. As he dug in, Tatsumi took small bites out of his chicken sandwich, studiously staring at the stranger. The man wiped his mouth with his sleeve and stretched his arms lazily with a loud yawn.

"Well, then. You put on quite the show in the station."

"Uh, yeah," Tatsumi responded, still unsure of the man's motives. "I tried my best."

"I could see that," the stranger said as he took another big bite from his sandwich. "If I was the examiner, I would've accepted you, regardless of the rules."

"That's nice of you to say, but it would've just gotten you into trouble. It's my fault for thinking the test would be the same as the classes back home made it out to be."

"Eh, not quite so. You're from Kreicrai, right?"

Tatsumi's eyebrows raised. "How did you-"

"I asked the man at the desk where you were from. Aumilia hasn't kept up to date on foreign PR since the Revolutionist War began. Considering the amount of crap that's gone down here since it started, Aumilia's made it harder for non-citizens to get grounding in its workforce, particularly the armed forces."

Tatsumi was taken aback. He knew from news reports at the academy that Aumilia was currently dealing with an uprising, but he hadn't expected the Empire to neglect keeping the other continents of Gaea informed about law changes. Tatsumi decided that he needed to satiate his suspicions about the stranger and what he wanted.

"How do you know all this? Why did you ask the station clerk where I came from?"

The man smirked. "Maybe it's about time I introduced myself. Name's Bulat Humaki. I'm a private mercenary on the trail of a criminal gang that's been causing chaos across several towns across the inner part of Aumilia.

"A private mercenary?!" Tatsumi gasped.

"Yup. Here's my license," Bulat said as he took out a slip of paper from his jacket and opened it out for Tatsumi. The slip had an ink sketch of his head along with writing that read, "MERC: BULAT HUMAKI-EMPLOYEE. EMPLOYER: NAJENDA BALPHINE." A list of regulation and other rules completed the paper.

"This is how I got to ask around the recruitment station. I wanted to check if anyone there could be connected to the Enthusiasts."

"Enthusiasts? Are they the criminals you mentioned?"

"Correct. The Enthusiasts are a pack of thugs who've been plundering towns around this area, taking as much money as they can. They've murdered quite a few people in the process. Their favorite target seems to be noble families. In the last town they went to, there was a noble family that had a credit net worth in the millions. The Enthusiasts killed every single member, children included, and made off with every scrap of wealth they had."

"No..really?" Tatsumi asked, shocked.

Bulat nodded grimly. "They've left a trail of havoc that leads to Joyou. Near this town is another noble family called the Legenfelts. Their riches are just what the Enthusiasts would be attracted to. The only question is, when will they strike?"

Tatsumi didn't have an answer.

"Police in the villages they've attacked have described them as sharply dressed. If they're not in expensive suits, they'll be in kimonos. If you see a group of men or women wearing clothes like that, tell Joyou's police. The station is two blocks northwest from this garden."

"I will."

Bulat finished his sandwich and stood up. "I'm going to continue my investigation. Keep your eyes peeled." He began to walk away.

"Wait!" Tatsumi shouted. Bulat stopped and turned to him.

"Yeah?"

Tatsumi took a deep breath. "Why are you telling me all of this? Why did you follow me back here? What's so special about me to you?"

Bulat chuckled. "Let's just say I've been in a spot like yours. I thought you might need someone to talk to. Your name's Tatsumi, right?

Tatsumi nodded.

"Well then, I hope we meet again, Tatsumi."

Bulat left along the pathway, letting out a loud belch. Tatsumi sat alone on the bench, an almost-finished chicken sandwich in hand. He silently took his final bites as he thought about what had happened, and what he should do next.

* * *

"Ahhhh, that was the perfect lunch!" Ieyasu sighed as he picked the last grains of fried rice from his plate. "The master chef once again proves herself unrivaled."

"That compliment won't make me forget that you took a double portion," Sayo said. "You know we have to go to dinner with the Legenfelts tonight. They'll expect you to eat a lot."

"I'll be fiiine. The Legenfelts don't pay much attention to us, anyway."

"No, but their other servants do. The Legenfelts already have a low opinion of people like us, and we don't need one of their servants to tell them the peasants couldn't be bothered to finish their dinner."

"Tshhh, you worry too much. As long as we keep bringing in the meat, our jobs'll be safe and sound."

"If you say so," Sayo said as she put her plate in the sink. "Well then, what should we do between now and tonight?"

"I dunno. Maybe check out downtown, see if anything new's in the shops. Nothing real interesting happens in Joyou."

There was a knock at the door. "Um, hello? It's Tatsumi."

"Oh, you're back! Here, just give me a second," Sayo said as she scurried to the door and undid the chain lock. Tatsumi stepped inside, wiping breadcrumbs from his mouth.

"Hey, Tatsumi! How did the exam go?" Ieyasu asked.

"Not good. I walked out."

"Walked out?!" Sayo gasped. "But why? You were so excited about getting the job!"

"Yeah, well, turns out their rules didn't work out for me."

"Ah, that sucks, man. If I were you, I'd start hitting up other army stations around this area and tryout in those places. I bet you'll make it in eventually," Ieyasu suggested.

"It's not that simple. The problem isn't with the army station, it's with Aumilia itself. Their rules require all their soldiers to kill at a moment's notice, and individual beliefs on killing don't matter."

"That just hurts the army more!" Sayo said indignantly. "If that rule didn't exist, I'm sure Aumilia would have more soldiers that could be medics or transporters."

"Maybe so, but it is what it is. The last Emperor put the rule into effect before he passed away. I didn't want to give up my morals, even for my dream job."

Sayo and Ieyasu didn't respond. They exchanged uneasy glances as Tatsumi sat down on the living room chair, taking off his jacket and putting his sword down. "Well, if I can't be a beastmaster, I'll just have to become a blacksmith."

"You know how to forge weapons?" Sayo asked with surprise.

Tatsumi nodded and drew his sword from its sheath. "I personally forged this sword before I left. I know how to forge and repair many weapons, and since Aumilia's currently engaged in war, they'll probably be in demand."

"Not too shabby," Ieyasu commented with a smirk. "You're gonna make a lot of dough real quick with Aumilia in its condition. I bet you'll be one of the premier blacksmiths within a few weeks!"

"Well, as fun as that is to imagine, I need to earn more credits first. I don't have enough money to set up shop by myself, so I figured I'd do whatever jobs are available over here first. Then I'll rent a place of my own and work from there."

"You could try the shops downtown. They look like they could use a clerk," Sayo said as she looked out the window. "Huh, that's strange."

"What is?" Ieyasu asked as he put his plate in the sink.

Sayo walked up to the window and narrowed her eyes. "Next door. There's a lady in a suit outside their door. She looks agitated."

Tatsumi sat up in alarm. A lady in a suit? That sounded a lot like the criminals Bulat had described earlier. He was about to say something when a loud knock came from the front door.

"I'll get it," Ieyasu said as he started for the front door.

"Wait!" Tatsumi cried. Ieyasu stopped.

"What?"

"Don't open the door. I have a feeling the person outside isn't someone you want in your house."

Ieyasu reluctantly nodded and stood outside the door. As Tatsumi and Sayo listened with worried faces, Ieyasu called out, "Who is it?"

A man's voice replied, "I want to make a proposal. Would you like to trade something of yours?"

"No thanks," Ieyasu said. He mouthed to the others, _"I got this."_

"Are you sure?"

"Yep."

"I insist!"

"Beat it, man!" Ieyasu said. Tatsumi mouthed to Sayo, _"Go get your bow,"_ , and Sayo quickly walked to the closet.

The voice outside chuckled and said, "How about an offer you can't refuse?"

Suddenly, the door was hit hard, splintering the inner wood. The lock nearly came out of the door frame.

"Aw, damn!" Ieyasu cried as Tatsumi grasped his sword hilt. Another hit sent the door flying open, and a tall blonde man in a business suit rushed in.

"Here's a fair trade!" the intruder said with an evil grin as he punched Ieyasu in the gut. Ieyasu's eyes nearly popped out of his head as the air went completely out of the boy's lungs. Before he could recover, the blonde kicked him away, where he crashed against the kitchen counter, knocking over a few plates.

 _"Ieyasu!"_ Sayo cried. She had no time to gather arrows, so she rushed at the blonde and bludgeoned him with her bow. Tatsumi dove in beside her and threw a left hook at his midsection. Growling, the blonde punched Sayo back in the face and charged Tatsumi, knocking him to the ground. The blonde unsheathed a gun from his coat and aimed it at Tatsumi.

"Say your prayers, kid," the man sneered as he cocked the pistol. Tatsumi prepared to block it with his sword when something smashed against the blondes' head. The intruder groaned as he went down, gun slipping out of his hand. Behind his fallen body, Ieyasu hunched over him, a broken pottery vase in hand.

"Agghhh, that's gonna bruise in the morning," Ieyasu groaned, rubbing his stomach. Tatsumi sighed in relief. He turned to where Sayo had been knocked to. "Sayo, are you all right?"

Sayo was wobbling on her feet, rubbing her reddened cheek. "Y-Yeah. I'm just glad you two are okay." She looked at the unconscious man anxiously. "Who is he? What did he want?"

"I'm pretty sure that was an Enthusiast," Tatsumi said grimly.

"A what?" Ieyasu asked.

"A member of a group of criminals out to steal from whatever village they come across. I'm sure that man was going to kill us and take whatever he could find in here."

"Well, that's just great," Ieyasu huffed. "The one day something finally happens in this town, and it's someone trying to kill me."

"Tatsumi, how'd you know who he was?" Sayo asked.

Tatsumi was about to answer when shouts and screams came from outside the hut.

"It sounds like what happened to us isn't special!" Ieyasu exclaimed.

Tatsumi clenched his fist. "I need to try to stop them!" He grabbed his sword and rushed out of the hut.

"Wait for me!" Sayo cried. She strapped on her quiver, full of arrows. As she dashed out of the hut, she shouted to Ieyasu, "Grab your axe and come on!"

"Right! Just a sec!" he called back. He grabbed his axe from beside the bunks and grabbed the blonde's jacket. He began dragging him out of their hut while thinking, _"Forget the Legenfelts, how are we going to make it through this?"_

* * *

"HAHAHAAA! Run, you little maggots!"

"I'll rip you apart!"

"Get all the money you can find!"

The hut village was in a state of complete panic as a gang of men and women dashed through their homes, wrecking anything in their proximity and hunting down the residents. The villagers screamed as the gang assaulted them, yelling and whooping.

A member with hair shaped like horns jumped onto a young boy. The child struggled and squirmed, yelling for help, but the man's grasp was too strong.

"I'm gonna enjoy cutting you up," the man said with a malicious smile as he took a knife out of his kimono. He raised his weapon above the boy's stomach, ready to strike, when suddenly an arrow went right through his arm. The man yelled in pain, dropping his knife, and whirled around to see where the arrow came from. He saw Sayo, armed with her bow and already loading another arrow.

"Get away from him!" she shouted as she fired again. The man ducked to avoid the arrow and grabbed the knife from the ground, snarling, "You'll pay for that, you little bitch!" He ran at Sayo and tried to stab her in the shoulder, but Sayo dodged the deadly lunge, quickly drew another arrow from her quiver, and drove it into his thigh. The man howled with pain and wildly slashed at Sayo. She jumped back as Tatsumi landed a flying kick to his skull, sending him skidding across the dirt.

"Thanks for the save," Sayo said gratefully.

"No problem," Tatsumi replied as he spotted a woman rushing at him with a wooden battering ram. He prepared to counter when he heard a loud shout. An axe came down on the battering ram, cleaving it completely in two. The woman gasped as she saw a teenager grinning as he punched her square in the jaw. As she hit the ground, Ieyasu turned to his friends and said, "Sorry for making you wait. I had to take care of something."

"Any help is appreciated, Ieyasu!" Tatsumi reassured him. He ran over to a hut with a broken door and found a couple cowering inside.

"Get out now! Hurry!" Tatsumi shouted. The couple rushed out. Tatsumi ran across the open dirt, searching for anymore innocents trapped in the attack.

"Tatsumi! Help us!" he heard Sayo shout. He dashed back and saw a large group of residents cornered by the Enthusiasts against a wall. Sayo and Ieyasu were in front of them, weapons at the ready. The Enthusiasts had taken out their guns and were aiming them at the villagers. At the front of the criminals was the man in a kimono.

"It's time we wrapped this little resistance up," the man spat as he stalked towards the villagers. Sayo and Ieyasu held their ground.

"J-just try to shoot," Ieyasu said bravely, trying to hide his fear. "We won't let anyone here get hurt!" Sayo's heart thumped hard as she aimed her bow at the nearest Enthusiast's hand. She knew she'd only get one arrow off before the bullets flew, but she wasn't going down without a fight. The residents shook with fright behind them, some hugging their loved ones and families.

" _No!"_ Tatsumi thought. He sheathed his sword and prepared to blast the Enthusiasts with a Celes Gust. The man in a kimono saw Tatsumi out of the corner of his eye and whirled his gun at him. "Not so fast, punk!"

Tatsumi froze. Some of the Enthusiasts drew their pistols at him. The man with a kimono smirked and said, "Not another step, unless you want your guts pumped full of lead!"

Tatsumi looked back at the villagers. There was no way he could go to them without an Enthusiast getting a shot off. Grimacing, he raised his hands high in the air. The man in the kimono grinned triumphantly. He turned to his cohorts.

"Back squad! Go and finish looting this place. Make it snappy, we need to be gone before the police arrive!"

A division of the gang spread out over the small village to continue their robbery. The kimono man twirled his pistol as he said to the villagers, "Don't any of you whelps make a peep. One we get what we want, we'll leave without hurting anyone else. Of course, if one of you gets the idea to be a hero, we'll have to ignore the latter."

Sayo and Ieyasu stood with their weapons hanging from their hands, unable to do anything. Ieyasu shot a questioning look at Tatsumi, but Tatsumi shook his head. There was nothing they could do without someone getting hurt. The lone detachment of Enthusiasts began to return to the camp with expensive looking furniture and jewelry in hand.

"Looks like we're done here. I think I'll take a souvenir," the kimono man said as he approached the villagers and grabbed the necklace of a woman.

"N-no! You can't!" the woman protested as she tried to push the man away. The man shoved his gun into her forehead.

"What did I say, huh? Now you're gonna get it!"

Tatsumi saw what was about to happen and put an arm down to unleash a gust, but the Enthusiasts aimed their guns right at him, Sayo and Ieyasu. He panicked, " _No! I need to-"_

A rock the size of a fruit flew in fast and hit the kimono man right on the side of his head. He crumbled to the ground with a groan of pain. At the same time, a wall of stone suddenly shot up, separating the villagers, Sayo and Ieyasu from the rest of the Enthusiasts and Tatsumi. The Enthusiasts gasped in shock while Tatsumi's eyes bugged open.

"Aaagghhh, that freaking hurt!" the kimono man yelled as he got to his feet, the side of his head cut and bleeding. "Where the hell did that-"

There was the sound of someone running. The Enthusiasts turned away and saw a man rushing at them hard. As Tatsumi gazed upon the man, he realized he knew him.

"B-Bulat?!"

The Enthusiasts unleashed a volley of bullets. Bulat slid and dashed on, dodging the bullets so fast it seemed he was a blur. Tatsumi was stunned. _"H-He's dodging bullets?! How could someone move that fast?!"_

Bulat charged up to the first two Enthusiasts he could see and slammed them with punches so quick the criminals next to them were hit with his succession kicks before they knew he was upon them. The scene quickly became a spectacle as the Enthusiasts desperately tried to shoot or hit the blur as he dove through gunfire and slammed each criminal with hard blows.

The kimono man was standing up, his jaw hanging open. "W..Who _is_ that?" He heard a yell and whipped his head around. The detachment of Enthusiasts were running towards him, dropping various items.

"Suka! We got the stuff! We need to scram, fast!"

Suka took another glance at Bulat, who was making short work of the Enthusiasts still standing. He would take them all out if they didn't leave now. Besides, they needed to enact the next phase of their plan. He shouted, "Enthusiasts! Take what you can pick up and let's beat it!"

The Enthusiasts remaining began to run away, desperately firing everywhere. Bullets bounced off the stone walls, making the village a scene of chaos. Tatsumi ducked on the ground as stray bullets whizzed around him. Bulat saw him and rushed to him, skidding next to him and punching the ground, raising a wall of stone that surrounded both of them on all sides. Suka and the rest of the criminals hastily climbed over the stone borders of the village and ran into the surrounding thicket of trees, quickly disappearing. The noise of gunfire and combat subsided. Bulat peeped through a tiny crack in the stone wall to make sure that the situation had settled. When he was sure, he tapped the wall, and the entire thing crumbled to pieces around Bulat and Tatsumi. The village was left with the marks of bullets on the huts and borders. A few Enthusiasts lay around the village, abandoned by their accomplices. Bulat sighed and got up. He extended a hand to Tatsumi.

"Need a hand, kid?"

Tatsumi nervously looked around. Seeing that everything was okay, he let Bulat help him to his feet.

"T-That was amazing," Tatsumi stammered. "How did you do all of that?"

Bulat dusted his knees off. "A long story of blood, sweat, and tears. Are you alright?"

Tatsumi checked himself over. He had a rip on the side of his pants, but apart from that, he was fine.

"I'm okay. Thank you, Bulat. I mean that deeply."

"Just doing my job. Come on, let's see if the other villagers are alright."

Bulat and Tatsumi walked over to the stone wall that had protected the others, which was riddled with marks left by bullets. Bulat tapped the wall, and it fell apart, revealing the villagers.

"Are you people alright?" Bulat asked loudly.

The people checked themselves and their loved ones. Bulat said, "The police will be here soon. You can check with them if you need any assistance."

The villagers reluctantly got up and slowly dispersed throughout the village to check on their homes. Some tended to their loved ones and families while others walked up to Bulat to personally thank him. Tatsumi saw Sayo and Ieyasu run up to him.

"Tatsumi! You're alright!" Sayo said happily as she hugged him tightly. "I was so worried!"

"I'm fine, Sayo, thanks to Bulat."

"Dude, what the hell happened out there?!" Ieyasu exclaimed. "I heard gunshots and punches and all sorts of wild crap! Who's this Bulat guy?"

Tatsumi pointed him out to Sayo and Ieyasu. "He's a mercenary that's been tracking those criminals down. He told me about them before I came back here."

"Oh, I was wondering how you knew not to trust them," Sayo said. "It's really fortunate he was here. Who knows what could have happened if he didn't come in when he did?"

"Yeah. I'm happy it's over now," Tatsumi added. He heard a group of people running and saw a collection of men in uniforms enter the village, guns on their belt. Bulat saw them and began to walk up to them.

"Hey, kid!"

Tatsumi turned to see Bulat approaching. The bigger man stopped and said, "I'll go sort out the situation with the police. Thanks to the Enthusiasts' hasty exit, I have evidence of their crimes all around the village." He gestured to the Enthusiasts still lying on the ground, moaning. "They'll help clean up this village. In the meantime, keep your guard up. There's no telling when the Enthusiasts will attack again, nor where."

"I understand." Tatsumi said.

"Good. See you around, then."

Bulat walked to the police as Tatsumi, Sayo, and Ieyasu watched him go. "How the heck did he make that wall?" Ieyasu pondered aloud. "Is he a mage like you, Tatsumi?"

Tatsumi looked at the back of Bulat with uncertainty. "I think he's a lot more than that, Ieyasu. He might be something else entirely."

Sayo looked around at the villagers fixing up their homes. "We should go help them out. Maybe working together will help disperse the stress of today."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Tatsumi said. Ieyasu nodded. Together the three walked to the other villagers, ignoring the loud snores of the blond man that tried to rob them lying next to them.

* * *

 _Evening/Sunset_

"Are you _sure_ , Sayo? They can't give _that_ much of a crap, could they?"

"Ieyasu, you've been around them long enough to know that when you're working for the Legenfelts, all appointments are mandatory."

Sayo was quickly applying perfume as Ieyasu tossed Tatsumi cologne. Tatsumi sprayed some on his neck while asking, "Are you sure it's okay for me to come with you? I don't want to strain your relationship with the Legenfelts more than it seems to be."

"They allow one or two free guests on the terms that they come as formally as we do," Sayo answered as she put on her sandals. "Frankly, they're just eager to impress."

"All right, but are these clothes fine, too!" Tatsumi asked as he looked himself over in the mirror. Sayo had insisted on washing and patching up his clothes despite his protests. "They're good for regular outdoorsy stuff, but a dinner with nobility?"

Ieyasu snorted. "They don't care. In fact, I bet they let us keep our regular clothes just to pride themselves on how much better their thousand-credit clothes are."

Sayo looked at the sundial and grumbled impatiently. "Hurry up, guys! Any later and we might be late, and today is _not_ a good day to be late."

The three youngsters finished preparing themselves and went out the front door, its lock repaired. Sayo and Tatsumi hopped on the propelled cart while Ieyasu poured fuel into the tank. As the cart sputtered to life, Ieyasu jumped on and grabbed the wheel. He drove the cart out of the village and down the street, where the citizens were making their last shopping trips before settling down for the night. The cart ventured out of the city limits and down the forest path, where the sunset's rays flickered through the branches of the trees along the side.

"So," Tatsumi said as he laid back in the cart bench, "why are you guys so apprehensive towards the Legenfelts? From what you've said, they seem like the stuck-up type of nobility."

Sayo rolled her eyes as she replied, "They're _exactly_ that. They look down on the working class because of their 'proud family legacy' of proper credit investment."

"Every time we see their mugs, their air of superiority drips off every word they say," Ieyasu grumbled. "The main reason I put up with it is because they always pay the same as long as our work for them is consistent."

"And I deal with it because, past the condescension, they've never done anything to us that's bad enough for us to quit. Until another opportunity comes by for either of us, we make the best of it," Sayo said.

"Plus, the dinner is worth the trip," Ieyasu added with a shrug.

"At least you have _something_ to look forward to when you visit them, and something's better than nothing, right?" Tatsumi said encouragingly. Sayo and Ieyasu mumbled "Yeah, that's fine enough, sure," softly. Tatsumi stared at the red and green leaves on the trees as Ieyasu steered the cart down different turns. After an hour of driving had passed, as the sun was settling on the horizon, the path opened out to a clearing. In front of them was a large mansion, with a white exterior beautifully illuminated by the sun. The gardens surrounding the mansion were filled with exotic and delicate plants. Guards in neat uniforms near the front gardens saw them and guided their cart to a designated parking space.

"The Legenfelts have been expecting you," said one of the guards as the team got off the cart, "and they're quite eager to learn about the incident that happened in your village a few hours ago."

"Wow, the news traveled that fast already?" Sayo mused as the group was lead inside through a side door. The group walked down a candlelit hallway with polished furniture and paintings. Tatsumi took a quick stare at each of the expensive antiques, impressed. Unfortunately, his attention was drawn off from the girl coming into the hallway from a room, and they bumped right into each other.

"Aaah! Watch where you're going, peasant!" the girl cried, indignant.

"Ack! My apologies!" Tatsumi stammered as he stumbled backwards, catching himself just in time from knocking over a nearby vase.

Sayo and Ieyasu sharply inhaled at the sight of the girl. They both rattled off at the same time, "Good evening, Lady Aria!"

The girl's disturbed expression turned into a rigid one at the sight of the two teens. "Ah, Ferenta and Gorongi! I'm pleased to see you've arrived on time, as standard." She looked at Tatsumi with an annoyed expression. "I wasn't aware you were bringing a guest tonight."

"Indeed, Lady Aria! This is Tatsumi Vritra, a visitor from Kreicrai," responded Sayo. "He has experience in military and bestial affairs."

Aria's eyes bulged wide. "He's from Kreicrai?! Are you serious?!" She threw back her head and broke out haughty laughter. "Oh, of all the places to come from, it had to be the continent with the worst excuse of society imaginable!" Still giggling, she walked up to Tatsumi and announced, "I am Miss Aria Legenfelt, daughter of Warton and Celia Legenfelt and inheritor to the Legenfelt estate."

Tatsumi, still uneasy from his near accident, gasped, "Oh, um, it's my great pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ari-I mean Lady Aria!" as he bowed his respects. He quickly analyzed her as his eyes went over her body. She was shorter than him and looked to be in her early teens, younger than both Sayo and Ieyasu. She had short blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue dress. She had an aura of grace and primness, which prompted Tatsumi to check himself to see if his appearance was acceptable. He straightened his hair as the group continued their walk.

"I must say, Ferenta," she said as she stared at Tatsumi briskly brushing his hair, "I didn't expect that someone from a place with such pathetic lifestyles would have experience in bestial affairs, let alone military experience. I'm guessing this man is among what the citizens of Kreicrai consider their 'elite', then?"

"Lady Aria, I can assure you this man is one of great achievement," Ieyasu said. "Not only has he graduated at the top of his class in military academy, he proved his skills to us in defense of our village." Tatsumi noticed the ends of Ieyasu's lips were strained. _"It must be hard for him to act formally in front of the Legenfelts,"_ Tatsumi thought to himself.

"Yes, I've been curious about the details since we received word from travelers this afternoon on the altercation." Aria replied. "We'll discuss it further after we eat." The group arrived at the dining room doors. One of the guards took out a key, put it in the lock at the handles of the doors, and opened them. Tatsumi gasped in his mind, _"Oh, my goodness."_

The dining room was huge, with a beautifully decorated table in the center. Around the room were more antiques, each encased in a protective glass covering. Sitting at the table were six people. There were two adults, a middle aged man and woman, dressed in formal clothing. There was a younger looking man with a good looking suit. Finally, there were three girls, each one dressed in a pink, yellow, and blue outfit respectively, with matching hair to boot. The adults and the man were in the middle of a discussion while the girls stayed silent. The adults saw the party entering and smiled.

"Ah, everyone's finally here!" cried the middle aged man with joy. "We can finally begin!"

"Greetings, Ferenta and Gorongi." the middle aged woman said. "We've been eager to hear from you."

"Indeed, Mr. and Mrs. Legenfelt." responded Sayo. They all sat at the table, with Aria sitting with her parents, Sayo and Ieyasu sitting next to the three girls, and Tatsumi sitting next to the young man.

"Now, then!" announced Warton. "Guards, tell our cooks that we are ready."

The guards nodded and left. About two minutes later, a group of people wearing cooking uniforms strolled into the room with covered dishes. They laid them out on the table.

"Dinner is served." said a cook as the others took off the covers. Tatsumi's mouth instinctively began to water as he gazed upon the food. There was turkey, mashed potatoes, baked beans, and fried rice. A few bottles of water and wine were set as well. He tied a bib around his neck.

"Let's eat!" Warton cried, and the company commenced with their meal.

* * *

"Ahhh, what a hearty meal," Warton said with satisfaction.

The meal had been a tasty one. Tatsumi had gotten water and tried the turkey and beans, and found them to be quite good, although in the back of his mind, he felt like Sayo would have cooked them better. He didn't say this out loud, of course. The Legenfelts had eaten their meal and talked to each other about their activities for the day. Warton had gone to a club where he and other nobles had met to discuss national affairs. Celia stayed on the mansion grounds, reading and observing the gardens. Aria had gone to school and taken a minor test. While the Legenfelts had talked, no one else, not even the four other guests, had interrupted them. Tatsumi had wanted to talk about the attack on the village, but when he motioned to Sayo and Ieyasu for approval, they had shaken their heads. Thus, Tatsumi kept mum with the others, finishing his meal in silence.

"Indeed. I say we all retreat to the couch in the living room for discussion," Celia said.

"A fine idea, my love. Everyone, come!" Warton said as the Legenfelts got up from their chairs. Everyone else got up as well. Together, they left the dining room through a small archway while servants quickly picked up the mess they'd left behind. The guests followed the Legenfelts to the living room, where a large circular couch was resting on an expensive carpet. The Legenfelts sat in the center on the couch while the man and three girls sat on one end and Tatsumi, Sayo, and Ieyasu sat on the other.

"Now, then," Warton said. "Ferenta, we would like to hear about the accident your village went through this afternoon."

"Yes, well, this afternoon, we were assaulted by several criminals that apparently were named the Enthusiasts," Sayo answered. "A mercenary came in the middle of their attack to stop them. While the Enthusiasts managed to escape along with a few precious belongings, most of the wealth of our village was kept safe."

"When the police came, they arrested the Enthusiasts that were abandoned in the attack," Ieyasu added. "We spent the rest of the afternoon helping the other villagers repair their homes and deal with the trauma of the attack."

"Well, now, that sounds quite terrifying," Celia said. "The working class always has to deal with the bandits that scrape by at the bottom of society. I imagine it must be stressful."

"Quite stressful, Mrs. Legenfelt," Sayo said, refraining from groaning at Celia's casual condescension. "But the arrests should give the police evidence that will help end the threat of the Enthusiasts."

"Pardon my interruption, but I can't help but feel a bit skeptical on that," the man in the suit said. "If those criminals are loyal enough to whomever is leading them, they'd never say a word to the police, no matter what threats they're presented with."

"Well, that _is_ a good point, Mr….?"

Warton babbled, "Oh, I almost forgot! You three haven't been introduced to our other guests," he said, motioning to the younger man. "This is Bach Howman. He's a young noble who I met at my club not too long ago."

The young man smiled. "Greetings. From what Mr. Legenfelt has told me, you and Gorongi are hard workers indeed. I'm almost tempted to make a trade!"

Sayo laughed. "Oh, goodness, Mr. Howman-"

Bach raised a stopping hand. "Oh, please, Ms. Ferenta, Mr. Howman is my father. Just call me Bach."

Ieyasu felt like gagging at the obvious brownnosing, but he kept it to himself. "Alright then, Bach, who would we be traded with? I hope it's fair."

Bach chuckled. "I've also been lax in introducing guests." He motioned to the three girls, who had been quiet the entire visit. "This is Air in the pink, Fal in the yellow, and Luna in the blue. They work for me in the same way you two work for the Legenfelts. Of course, I've grown too fond of them to actually part ways with them."

The girls nodded, still keeping quiet. Bach playfully rolled his eyes and whispered to the group, "They're rather shy, so don't be disturbed by their silence."

Tatsumi gave a friendly look to the girls. "Hello! I'm Tatsumi Vritra, and it's nice to meet you. All three of you are looking nice tonight."

The girls looked at Tatsumi with a surprised look, and he could see the blood rising in their cheeks. He grinned goofily at them, making them smile just a bit.

"Well, then, it seems your village has a bit of rebuilding to do," Aria said.

Tatsumi was still trying to be as nice as possible to the girls when it finally hit him. _"T-The Legenfelts?! Oh, man, this is the family Bulat talked about! I was so wrapped up by the attack, I completely forgot!"_ He stammered, "Excuse me, but I have something important to say!"

"What is it, young man?" Warton asked.

Tatsumi took a deep breath and answered, "You remember the mercenary that Sa-Ms. Ferenta mentioned? Well, I personally interacted with the mercenary, and he said that the Enthusiasts target noble houses. Your mansion is about an hour away from Joyou. I think the Enthusiasts' attack on us was just a rest stop. I think the Enthusiasts plan to attack you next!"

Warton scoffed. "Attack us?! They'd have to be daft to try it!"

"Haven't they already lost several criminals in their attack on that village?" Celia added. "They won't have the necessary manpower to try to rob us!"

"If those pestilent robbers tried to attack us here, our guardsmen would make short work of them," Aria added with a smirk. "They'd have to go to prison knowing they were defeated by the most powerful family near Joyou, and they never had a chance in the first place!" She laughed once again. "You peasants worry too much."

Tatsumi grimaced. "Maybe, but I can't help but worry."

"Oh, don't you bother yourself in our affairs," Warton said dismissively. "I'm sure the Enthusiasts don't even have a plan other than attack and run away."

Tatsumi bit down on his lip. He was sure the Enthusiasts would come for them soon, but it was clear the Legenfelts weren't going to listen to anything else he had to say. He reluctantly answered, "Thank you for listening."

"I understand your concern," Bach said. "However, I'm sure that after their defeat this afternoon, the Enthusiasts won't have the stomach to rob this area anymore."

Sayo looked at the sundial above the nearby fireplace. "Oh, goodness, it's nine o'clock! We'd better leave if we're going to have proper sleep tonight!"

The Legenfelts nodded. "Very well, Ms. Ferenta. We're pleased you came over on time. I must say, that young gentleman you brought over may one day become a fine soldier," commented Celia. Tatsumi nodded his thanks at the compliment.

"Farewell, young ones. I wish you good tidings." Bach said with a friendly smile. The three girls waved once before going back to their emotionless state.

"Good night," Ieyasu said as the group was surrounded by guards who escorted them through the halls back outside to their cart. The group jumped on and drove out, the crescent moon illuminating the forest road.

"UUGGGHH, I'm so glad that's over!" Ieyasu groaned. "Did you listen to that Bach guy? Total suckup!"

"Ieyasu, that's not nice," Sayo scolded. "Those girls he brought with him seem to respect him a lot."

"Eh, whatever. The sooner we get home, the sooner I can get wash this stupid perfume off."

Tatsumi didn't say anything. Sayo could see that he was still worried. "Tatsumi, it'll be fine," she tried to reassure him. "You did your best. The Legenfelts are really proud, and with pride comes really thick heads."

"Yeah. I just keep getting bad vibes whenever the Enthusiasts come up," Tatsumi sighed.

Within an hour they entered the city of Joyou again, lit by dim lanterns. The cart pulled into the village, and the three companions entered the hut. After washing up and taking turns in the bathroom to change, they prepared to go to bed.

"Good night, guys. I hope you find a job soon, Tatsumi." Sayo said as settled into her bed and pulled over the covers.

"Yeah, what she said…" Ieyasu said, already sleepy. He climbed the ladder onto the top bunk of his bed and covered up, softly murmuring, "I'm gonna hurt in the morning for sure."

"G' night, guys." Tatsumi responded as Sayo and Ieyasu went into slumber. He climbed into the bottom bunk of the bed and pulled up the covers. As he lay down, his thoughts traced back to becoming a blacksmith. Maybe he should see if the Legenfelts needed a spare servant. At least then he would get a headstart on getting enough credits to start a shop. He decided he would ask Sayo and Ieyasu in the morning. As he drifted off to sleep, he could faintly see Bulat fending off the Enthusiasts with such speed and power, his only thought to stop them and protect the civilians. As he dreamed, Tatsumi's mind drifted about how he could be like Bulat one day, and not be helpless to defend those who needed help.

Suddenly, he heard a loud banging on the door. He immediately shot up in his bed, wide awake. He could hear from startled gasps that Sayo and Ieyasu were up too. The three people looked at the door with panic as the banging got more repetitive and increased in volume. Without saying a word, Tatsumi got out of his bed and grabbed his sword leaning on the wall.. He quietly walked straight up to the door, taking a position. He glanced back and saw Sayo and Ieyasu grabbing their bow and axe respectively. He could see that they were frightened, but they came up a few feet behind him, ready to attack. Tatsumi exhaled sharply as he slowly put his hand on the doorknob. The banging continued, making the whole hut squeak under the pounding. Tatsumi counted to five in his head and threw open the door with his sword in front of him, his friends darting next to him. What he saw left him stunned. The unwanted knockers at the door were not members of the Enthusiasts, as he feared. Instead, Tatsumi stood dumbfounded at the exasperated and frightened forms of Air, Fal and Luna. They jumped back with a squeal, shivering with worry.

Tatsumi found his voice first. "W-What are you guys doing here? How'd you find us?"

The girls looked at him before Air finally whispered in sheer terror,

"Please help us."

* * *

Author's Note

Second chapter done! Two more, and that'll be it for the Bestial Conflict revision! All original from then on! As always, please review so I know what works for the story and what doesn't!

Xakada


	4. Chapter 3: Thickening Situation

**Dragon's Flight**

 **Chapter 3**

Thickening Situation

* * *

 _Gaea/Year 1024/Joyou, Aelehica/Midnight_

Tatsumi watched as Air, Fal, and Luna drank flasks of water from the kitchen while sitting in the living room. The three girls were calming down with each sip. They had hurriedly asked Tatsumi, Sayo, and Ieyasu if they could stay there for the night. Letting them in, Sayo decided to give them water to help them relax. Ieyasu had lit candlesticks with a flint and set them around the living room of the hut, where they cast a dim light that wouldn't disturb the neighbors. As the girls relaxed on the couch, Tatsumi felt he should speak up first.

"So, uh, where do you all come from?"

Air replied, "Oh, um, I'm from Ioshuin, the northern arctic continent. Fal's from Meyen, the desert continent southwest of Aelehica, and Luna's from Epexone, the ocean continent southeast of Aelehica. We met each other while traveling through the eastern towns of Aumilia."

Fal interrupted, "When she says met, she means bumped into. I was walking down Route 76 and going through a small town when I saw Air asking for directions like a lost puppy. She was babbling crap like "Excuse me, where am I? How do I get to the next town?" and other stuff. I decided that I might as well take the company traveling through this empire."

Air's eyebrow raised. "Really? As _I_ remember, I was politely asking the townspeople for advice when I heard a certain girl's loud shouts. I walked over to the noise, and I find Fal right up in a poor man's face, yelling "WHERE DO I GET A JOB IN THIS DAMN EMPIRE? HURRY UP AND TELL ME BEFORE I START GETTING PUNCHY!"

Fal shrugged. "Whatever. Anyways, we joined up, and while traveling we came across Luna on the side of the road, where some bum was trying to mug her. A few good hits to his nuts later, she stayed with us after I said we'd all be safer as a group instead of traveling by ourselves."

"We also found that all three of us shared the same goal of achieving occupational success in Aumilia," Luna added. "While the claims of the Empire to be the best place on Gaea sounded farfetched to me, the others were optimistic enough, and thus we continued our journey until we arrived here at Joyou about two weeks ago."

"Huh, that's not too long ago," Ieyasu pondered aloud. "What happened then?"

Air and Luna's faces fell while Fal growled angrily. "Howman happened!"

"Bach?" Sayo said in surprise. "I thought he was your boss."

"Pfffft, 'boss'? He came to us while we were eating lunch at the town square and asked us all about what we were doing and why we were there. He said that he was looking for potential workers and that we fit the bill perfectly. We went with him out of town and deep into the forest, and the next thing we knew we were lying together on the ground inside some freak tent."

"He must've put some sleeping thing in our drinks at lunch!" Air bemoaned. "When we woke up, there were a bunch of people in suits inside. Bach was there too, and he told us we were his property now, and that we were to keep quiet and listen to every command he gave us."

"Fal was stubborn and tried to fight back," Luna recalled as her voice began to quiver. "She managed to bring down a few of the criminals. Bach wasn't happy about that. He took out a whistle from his suit and blew it. We heard footsteps from outside the tent, and then we heard something growl, some type of… _beast_. He smiled as he said that if we wouldn't obey the words of the head Enthusiast, he'd have to let his pet dispose of us. I did not know the fear I felt then ever before."

Tatsumi, Sayo, and Ieyasu exchanged stunned looks. Bach Howman, a young man who seemed like he was just a friendly noble, was not just a criminal. He was the leader of the same gang that had attacked them earlier that same day!

"T-That's just horrible," Sayo stuttered. "And you've had to serve him for all this time?!"

Air solemnly nodded. "We had to do all sorts of chores, from laundry and shopping to cleaning guns and other weapons. All the while, he kept the threat of whatever that _thing_ outside the tent was looming over us. As we worked, we heard him discussing his plans with the other robbers. He'd learned about a noble family near Joyou named Legenfelt, and he had decided to disguise himself as a noble to learn as much as he could about them, so that when he wooed the family into believing he was a good guy, he'd attack them with all his cronies when their guard was down!"

"At which he'd kill all the Legenfelts and make off with their fortune," Tatsumi finished, remembering Bulat's description of the Enthusiasts' M.O.

"Do any of you know where the Enthusiasts are hiding?" Ieyasu asked.

The three girls shook their heads. "They always made sure that we were blindfolded whenever we had to go somewhere where we could retrace our steps," Fal groaned. "We only managed to make it here out of dumb luck."

"After the dinner at the mansion, Bach sent us back here to pick up weapons. While we were at the late-night shops, we heard some police officers talk about the attack on your village. We asked them where the village was, and that led us here, where we knocked at the only hut with the cart," Luna said.

"That explains a lot," Tatsumi mused. "Did Bach say when he was going to attack."

"Tomorrow night, which as of now means _tonight_ ," Luna confirmed.

"Oh gosh! The Legenfelts are in _huge_ trouble!" Sayo cried. "We need to go to the police right away!"

The girls' faces turned pale. _"N-No, please!"_ Air cried. "The Enthusiasts will have probably noticed by now that we're gone, and they might still be out. We should go out in the day when they're gone!"

"Are you guys sure about that?" Ieyasu asked with uncertainty. "We could take our weapons."

"They're right. It's too big of a risk. Besides, the police will probably be out in extra numbers during the day because of what happened. The Enthusiasts wouldn't push their luck with the patrol watching over the whole town," Tatsumi said.

"So we should probably get some shuteye for now, right?" Ieyasu said. "And in the morning, we can decide what we'll do."

Tatsumi and Sayo nodded. Sayo said to the girls, "We have spare blankets in the closet. Will you be okay sleeping on the chairs?"

All three of them nodded. Sayo got the blankets and gave them to the girls while Tatsumi and Ieyasu put out the candlesticks. Within minutes the group was preparing for slumber in the dark hut.

"You girls are really brave," Tatsumi said as he settled into his bed. "I promise we'll stop the Enthusiasts and get you somewhere safe."

"I agree," Sayo added.

"Kudos," Ieyasu joined.

"Thank you all," Air said gratefully as she stretched out on the couch next to Fal. Luna was on the other chair. In no time at all the entire group was asleep, with the Legenfelts' time of reckoning approaching.

* * *

 _Dawn_

The morning sun's rays went through the windows and brought light into the hut. The light brought Tatsumi out of his rest, and his eyelids slid open as he smacked his lips. As his sleepy eyes rolled around, they passed over the girls sleeping in the living room. Tatsumi shot awake, remembering what he had to do. He quickly rolled off the bed and rushed to the bathroom to get ready. Meanwhile, the others had been woken by Tatsumi's footfalls and were collecting themselves as well. Tatsumi washed up and went back to the living room, where the others were sitting on the couch.

"Tatsumi, come over here! We're going to figure out what our plan is!" Sayo called. Tatsumi hustled over to the living room and plopped himself down on a chair.

"Okay, so me and Sayo gotta go up to the Legenfelts to work today, right?" Ieyasu said. "While we're up there, we'll tell them about what the Enthusiasts are gonna do so they can protect themselves."

"You're probably going to need proof of the Enthusiasts' intentions," Luna said. "I volunteer myself to accompany you both, so that they may believe."

"Great! While we're doing that, the police will need to know about the Enthusiasts as well. Tatsumi, could you take Air and Fal to the police station to file a report?" Sayo asked.

"Of course!"

"Then it looks like we're all set. Let's eat up and get moving while we have the time!"

The group took turns in the bathroom showering and getting dressed. Sayo cooked a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs, and the three girls thought it was the best eggs they ever had. After breakfast, the group went outside. Ieyasu started up the cart and hopped on with Sayo and Luna while Tatsumi, Air, and Fal prepared to go to the police station.

"The station's next to the town square!" Ieyasu said as he grabbed the steering wheel. "Walk into downtown. There's signs that point the way on the sidewalks!"

"Thanks, Ieyasu. Make sure the Legenfelts are ready!" Tatsumi replied.

The cart sputtered and chugged away from the house and out of the village. Tatsumi watched them go before turning to Air and Fal and saying, "Let's get a move on, guys. We don't have any time to waste."

"Right!" the two girls agreed. The group walked briskly out of the village and down the street towards the town square. As they walked, Tatsumi kept an eye out for any suspicious people on the street.

"So, excuse me for asking, but what are you doing in this town, anyway?" Air asked.

"Oh, I was just trying out for a position in the Aumilian Army," Tatsumi replied.

"Did you get in?"

"Sorry, no. The army's rules have changed since the war started, and I….wasn't able to adapt."

"Sucks, dude," Fal said as the group turned at a block. "You know, I was considerin' joining up myself before they put out that eighteen and up age limit. Maybe in a few years, if this war's still happening, I might saddle up."

"Fal, you shouldn't wish for a war to continue!" Air chided.

"IknowIknow, I'm just saying."

"How old are you, anyway?" Tatsumi asked.

"Oh, me? I'm sixteen. Air and Luna are fifteen."

"Really? You all seem a bit young to travel by yourselves. Of course, this is coming from someone raised in Kreicrai, so…"

"Yeah, maybe we are a bit too young for traveling, but with Aumilia in a war, my parents said now was the best time for me to strike out on my own. Looks like your parents thought the same, huh, Air?"

"Yeah, just about. Look, there's the police sign!"

Tatsumi looked to where Air was pointing and saw a wooden sign with "POLICE-THIS WAY " scrawled into the bark. Hastening his pace, He led the girls in the direction the sign pointed and saw another sign in the distance pointing to a building on the other side of the road, which had two people in uniforms standing outside.

"That must be it. Come on, guys!" Tatsumi said. The group went down to the building, where the guards stood in front of the door. When the group stood directly in front of them, the guards sidestepped out of the way. The group entered and observed the lobby. Tatsumi noticed that the lobby of the police station and the army recruitment post were very similar, with a front desk and various imperial decorations. Tatsumi was looking around to see where to file a report, considering if he should just ask at the front desk, when he overheard a conversation to the left.

"Sir, your attention is flattering, but I'm not interested."

"It's just a short stroll through the park! Come on, I'll get drinks!"

Tatsumi looked to his left and saw a male employee walk past him, clearly uncomfortable. Down where the employee had been, a man in a leather jacket sighed in dissatisfaction. Tatsumi recognized him almost immediately.

"Bulat! Is that you?"

Bulat glanced around at the sound of someone calling him and spotted the group. "Oh, Tatsumi! I didn't expect to see you here at this hour."

"Oh, am I glad I found you," Tatsumi said as the group walked up to him. "Something really bad is about to happen, and-"

"Hey, hold up. Who are these two?"

"Ah, yeah, these two girls are Air and Fal. They were at the Legenfelt mansion last night. They've got really important news to share with the police!"

"Is it about the Enthusiasts?"

"Y-yes, sir!" Air stammered. "We were kidnapped by them, and we found out about their plans! We need to tell an officer right away!"

Bulat's eyes narrowed. "Come with me." He quickly strode over to the front desk and slammed his hands on the wood, startling the posted officer. "Officer, listen up. We have two witnesses to the Enthusiast case ready to give intel. Can you take care of them?"

The officer was still off his senses as he shuffled papers on the desk. "I'm sorry, you said there were witnesses to the Enthusiasts? Where are they?"

Bulat turned to Tatsumi, Air, and Fal right behind him. "These two girls are the key to stopping the Enthusiasts. Question them."

The officer grabbed some papers and stood up. "You two. Follow me." He walked from the desk to a door along the wall. Air and Fal went behind him. Glancing back at Tatsumi and Bulat, Air called out, "You'll wait for us, right?"

"Of course!" Tatsumi answered. The officer opened the door for the girls. As they stepped in, the officer followed and shut the door behind him. Bulat sighed. "Let's go take a seat." The two walked over to a row of chairs and sat themselves down.

"So, then," Bulat began as he fixed his posture, "where'd those two come from?"

"Ioshuin and Epexone. They were two regular girls trying to make a life in Aelehica before the Enthusiasts found them. Their boss disguised himself as a noble and visited the mansion where Sayo and Ieyasu work."

"And Sayo and Ieyasu are…"

"Oh, right, you don't know. They took me into their home when I first came over here. They work for the Legenfelts, and I went with them to a special dinner, where we found them."

"How'd you get them away from their boss?"

"Actually, _they_ managed to get away by themselves. They found us last night and told us everything they knew. We decided to split up this morning. Sayo and Ieyasu would take one of the girls to the Legenfelts to explain the situation and help them prepare. I would take the other two girls to report to the police, which is where I ran into you again."

"Hmmm. This has been quite the rapid chain of events. Did those girls know anything else about the Enthusiasts' boss?"

"Just his name. Bach Howman. Do you know him?"

"Can't say that I do. Still, just a name is better than no information at all. You and your friends made the right choice."

"T-Thanks. Uh…I'm just curious, but what have you been up to since yesterday?"

"Well, I've been helping the police with their investigation into the Enthusiast case. We've questioned the Enthusiasts arrested yesterday, but their loyalty to this 'Bach Howman' is strong. The only concrete facts we pulled out of them are that they have a hideout not too far from the city borders, and that they may have a Danger Beast of some kind."

"Yeah, the girls mentioned that Bach threatened them with a beast."

"So it's not just a rumor, then. This could be a problem. From what I've seen of the police's arsenal, they're equipped to deal with a Beast in the minor class. If the Beast is tougher than that, I may have to get serious, which could cause collateral damage."

"Collateral damage? What do you mean?"

"Eh, things will probably work out that it won't happen. Anyway, that's about it for me."

"I saw you talking with an officer just before you saw us. He looked uneasy. Did you say anything to him that I should bother knowing about?"

Bulat's cheeks took a light shade of red. "Oh. That. That was just, uhh, a personal affair. It's nothing to take notice of."

"Is he your friend? I heard you were going to take him into the park for drinks."

"No, I've never met or talked with him before," Bulat answered rather quickly.

"Oh, all right then," Tatsumi casually responded just before his mind began to function. "W-Wait," Tatsumi slowly realized as his eyes widened, "w-were you trying to…y'know…"

"I-it was just a joke," Bulat said rapidly, sweat visible on his forehead. "Of course I didn't mean anything _more_ than that. Just words."

"W-Well, I mean, if you really _were_ doing that, I don't have a problem with whatever… _that_ …was," Tatsumi stammered, embarrassed by his own question. "I don't judge that kind of stuff, so…CanIaskyousomethingelseaboutyesterday?"

"Yesabsolutely."

"Right, well, I saw you able to dodge the gunfire the Enthusiasts sent your way. Just how did you pull that off?"

"Ah, that? Just takes enough training in unlocking the natural reserves of magic in the body."

"Magic? Huh, that's…strange.."

"What's strange about it?"

"When I was training in academy, I was taught how to create gusts and small whirlwinds with magic. I didn't know there were other applications."

Bulat leaned in his chair, facing Tatsumi. "Really? Then how about we start with the basics. What were you taught about magic?"

Tatsumi leaned back and sighed as he crossed his arms. The memories of sitting at his desk in the academy, diligently listening to his teacher explain magic from a book came back to him. Slowly, he recalled out loud.

"…Magic is the supernatural energy that our planet emanates. It's the main source of our fuel, and it's used to enhance the power of several weapons."

"All right. What about us? What do we have to do with magic?"

"Well, magic is found inside all living organisms. Each living thing on the planet subconsciously emits almost immeasurable slivers of magic constantly. Of course, it's nowhere near enough to affect anything. In the academy, I learned how to use that magic as a weapon."

"Show me."

Tatsumi held out his palm. "First, you have to concentrate on yourself. You must find the energy that flows constantly through your body. I usually think of it like my blood, going through my veins."

"Good."

"Then, once you feel like you have a handle on the magic within, you have to prepare it. You think of a natural element that you can form the magic into. Since I'm from Kreicrai, I was told to focus on the wind. You imagine a different type of wind for a different amount of power you want to put into your magic. If I wanted a small gust, I would imagine a soft breeze going through the treetops. If I wanted a windy gale, I'd think of the harsh winds that come from a storm. Once I've got what I want in my mind, I do the final step, which is letting it out. I need to concentrate on letting out just the right amount of magic. Too little and I won't be able to create what I want. Too much and it'll go to waste." Tatsumi took a deep breath and closed his eyes, concentrating. Slowly but surely, a small little whirlwind formed on his palm, blowing gently across his hand.

"And that's how I learned to use it," Tatsumi finished as the wind faded away.

"Looks like you have a decent grasp on the basics," Bulat commented. "That kind of general education's common for army trainees. However, if you really want to discover magic, you need a proper tutor."

"Who was your tutor?"

"Before I became a mercenary, I was a tryout for the army just like you."

"Really?"

"I trained under one of the finest soldiers of the past few decades. He taught me a lot more about magic than you'd normally learn. For example, you can use the magic gathered in your body to enhance your physicality. The process you described earlier fits the bill for enhancement as well."

"Huh, so that's how you did it...Then why isn't that technique taught regularly? Why should someone have to go to a tutor?"

"Well, for one thing, enhancement is not as easy as it sounds. You need to have a firm awareness of your magic energy and refine it so that enhancement becomes an almost subconscious task. Not many people have the mental capability for that."

"That makes sense, I guess."

"You should know. I've already seen you perform enhancement yesterday."

"When did you-oh, right," Tatsumi said as he remembered the bear toss in the testing arena. "I was..desperate then. I wanted so badly to pass that I guess I concentrated enough on my body to throw that beast. I hadn't even though about it again until just now."

"I see. Often times, it's when people are under great stress that their character is truly tested. Either you get a grip or fall apart."

"Mmm….Say, Bulat, how'd you go from an army recruit to a mercenary? With your talent, you should be a shoo-in for the army!"

"Well, I actually _was_ part of the Aumilian army, for a time. I fought while the last Emperor was still alive. I was mostly involved with foreign affairs, fighting off isolated nations on the islands that surround Aelehica. It was bloody and harsh, but it was what I signed up for."

"Hmm…so what happened?"

Bulat hesitated. "…All that matters right now is that I traded a soldier's duty for a merc's contract. Still, for what it was, I wouldn't have second guessed anything."

Tatsumi thought on Bulat's words for a minute before he heard a door open. The officer was coming back out with Air and Fal following him.

"Thank you for bringing them here," the officer said. "The personal accounts of these two witnesses have been an excellent contribution in locating and subduing the Enthusiast gang. I have recorded their words on paper, and will deliver it to my superiors immediately, where we will decide a proper course of action."

"Great," Bulat said. "I'm planning to head down to the Legenfelt mansion tonight. If they attack, I can keep them occupied until reinforcements arrive."

"Are you positive? Don't take this the wrong way, but you're just one mercenary against who knows how many criminals."

Bulat smirked. "I think I'll manage."

"…All right, then. I suggest that the rest of you go home and keep safe tonight. Good day."

The officer walked to a different door and went through. Seeing him go, Bulat turned to the two girls.

"Well, how did it go?"

"Oh, it was all right," Air answered. "He took us to a small room with a table and chairs. He asked us all about what happened, what we saw, and what we heard. We told him everything we knew."

"With any luck, the cops might actually find out where those punks are hiding," Fal mused. "I'm ready to go back, how 'bout you guys?"

Air nodded. Tatsumi sighed, happy that everything had gone well so far. He turned to Bulat and asked, "So, Bulat, are you going to hang out here until tonight?"

"Actually, I'm at a bit of a loss for my next move. I need a quick way to get to the Legenfelt mansion, but I don't quite know where to ask for directions."

"Then you should come with us! My roommates work directly for the Legenfelts!"

"Huh, is that right?"

"They have a cart that can make the trip in about an hour. Is that good enough for you?"

"It'll have to do. Lead the way, Tatsumi!"

Tatsumi smiled and began heading for the main exit with the girls and Bulat in company. " _So far, so good,"_ Tatsumi thought as he went through the doors. _"I hope the others are having as easy of a job as-WHOA!"_

He was alarmed by a commotion going on just outside the police station. A horse-drawn police carriage reinforced with metallic materials waited in the road with its door open, an officer beside it. Tatsumi looked down the side of the station and saw two other officers leading an obese, dark-skinned man down towards the cart. He had traces of ruined makeup lathered randomly across his face, and his mouth was gagged. His eyes were bloodshot and panicked as he went to the cart, and Tatsumi could hear frantic sounds from his muffled mouth. As the officers stuffed him into the cart, Tatsumi saw Bulat walk up to the officer and talk to him quietly. Tatsumi couldn't make out what they were saying, and when he turned to Air and Fal, they were just as lost. The group observed Bulat finish his conversation with the officer and walk back. The officer jumped into the cockpit of the carriage and beckoned the horses. They led the carriage from the station and down the road.

"What was that about, Bulat?" Tatsumi asked. "Anything to do with the Enthusiasts?"

"No. This was about a crime that happened in another town close to Joyou. Apparently that man kidnapped children in the town to perform in some sort of circus."

"W-What was the circus about?" Air asked.

"Who knows? That's all the information the police could get out of him. Officer described him as a fruitcake, so detached from reality that they couldn't even manage to confirm his name. Apparently, an officer from the Explorer Corps managed to subdue and arrest him with every child rescued. Since the afflicted hometown doesn't have a strong police force, they transferred him here instead."

"Good thing the kids are safe now," Fal commented. "Sheesh, it looks like traveling through this dang empire is more dangerous than I thought."

Air looked uncomfortable. Tatsumi wondered what he could say that would be appropriate. However, Bulat beat him to the punch. "Danger is a part of life. When misfortune happens, you make the best of it. That's how life works."

Air and Fal's faces softened at his words. "Let's get back to the village, Tatsumi. I'm sure your companions will be expecting us."

"Yeah, you're right," Tatsumi said. The group left the station and headed back to the village. However, even as they walked, Tatsumi couldn't get the sight of those manic eyes out of his mind.

* * *

 _Meanwhile_

"I never saw myself in a position of high authority," Luna said as the cart bumped along the trail. "I simply wanted a quiet occupation of sufficient profit so I could establish a somewhat comfortable lifestyle. Of course, saying these thoughts out loud requires less effort and time than to make these thoughts reality. I was quite unsure of my sense of direction when I departed from my home, and if I had bothered to acquire further knowledge of my surroundings, I would probably have not set myself up to be mugged."

"Uh, yeah, ok," Ieyasu answered back. He gave Sayo a nudge and whispered in her ear, _"Could you translate that?"_

 _"Darn it, Ieyasu, she's just reflecting on her choices that led her here!"_ Sayo hissed angrily. _"Stop being a blockhead and talk to her!"_

 _"Alright, alright, I was just confused,"_ Ieyasu retorted with annoyance. He turned to Luna and asked, "Well, why doesn't one of the spicier jobs you can get in Aumilia appeal to you?"

"I do not desire a large sum of money. From what I've learned in Epexone, money is one of the root causes of distress. It can destroy relationships, encourage felonious action, and easily corrupt the weak willed."

"Oh. Ha-hahhh…you're so right," Ieyasu said sheepishly, ignoring the sly glance Sayo threw his way. "Nice to see someone who's not too big for their britches tell it like it is." Privately, he bemoaned, _"Aggh, that hurt more than the sock in my stomach yesterday."_

"It's a good thing Fal and Air showed up when they did, then," Sayo said.

"Indeed. I am grateful that they were not harmed as further consequence to my naïve planning. As we traveled together, I learned of their similar goals, and I became more comfortable with opening myself up to strangers. As unfortunate as our kidnapping at the hands of Bach Howman was, I believe in hindsight that it made my familial bond with them stronger. Do you believe that this is unorthodox?"

"…Well, if Ieyasu and I were ever put in a similar situation, I'd like to think the same would happen between us," Sayo answered. "What do you think, Ieyasu?"

"Pfft, of course we would make a stronger friendship! Nobody is going to put me down for the count, and I'll make sure anybody I consider a friend follows suit!"

"Well, that's nice to hear," Sayo said with a smile. Looking ahead, she saw the familiar marble sight. "Guys, we're here."

The cart parked at the same spot that it had been for last night's dinner. As the group hopped off, Ieyasu asked, "So, are we just going to go into the house? There's no guards outside to guide us anywhere, and I'm sure the Legenfelts don't want commoners roaming their hundred-thousand credit halls."

"We'll just knock on a side door and see if there's a servant inside that close enough to the door. Hopefully they'll open it," Sayo answered.

"And what if no one comes?"

"Then we find another way. No matter what, the Legenfelts are going to hear about the Enthusiasts' plan."

Together the group walked along the wall until they found a wooden side door. "Ieyasu, will you knock? You have the most arm strength out of all of us," Sayo requested.

"Sure thing." Ieyasu walked up to the door and banged on it with his fist three times. The group waited to see if anybody came. After a few seconds, Luna said, "Try it once more." Ieyasu knocked again. There was still no response. "Hrrmm..Let's try another door," Sayo said, but just as the group was about to leave, the door creaked open and a nervous maid peeped out.

"Oh, you're Ms. Ferenta and Mr. Gorongi! Um, what may I do for you?"

"We need to see the Legenfelt family this instant!" Sayo said firmly. "Whatever they are doing, they must put it aside to listen to our words!"

"A-All right..Follow me," the maid said. The group went through and shout the door. The maid led them through the halls back to the lavish living room. The main stopped right at the spot where the hallway opened up to the room, motioning for the others to stop as well. They peered out of the hallway, where they could see the family lounging on their couch, all three of them with a book in their hand.

"Please wait here," the maid said to the group. Briskly walking out into the open, the maid said, "Pardon my interruption, there is something of importance I must bring to your attention."

Warton looked up from his book. "Now whatever could this be about? Here, state your business quickly."

The maid beckoned to the group in the hall, and they stepped into the light. "Sir, this is Ms. Ferenta and Mr. Gorongi along with a guest. They demanded that they see you immediately."

Celia put down her book in surprise. "Well now, whatever are you two doing here? The only work we require of you today is making sure the gardens are looking neat."

"I pray they aren't actually foolish enough to demand a raise," Aria snorted as she looked up from her book. Seeing Luna, her eyes widened. "Why, that's the girl from last night! Why have you come back here?"

"Forgive our sudden interruption upon your personal activities," Sayo began gravely, "but we have recently discovered a terrible conspiracy that threatens the safety of you, the servants, and the mansion as a whole."

"This girl is named Luna, and she has a great amount of information that you all must know," Ieyasu said. "Luna, please tell them all you can."

Taking a deep breath, Luna related her story with the Legenfelts. At first, the Legenfelts only listened with minimal interest, with Aria going back to reading her book. It wasn't until Luna got to where she entered Joyou with Air and Fal that they really began to listen. Hearing Bach's name, Warton and Celia paid attention to Luna, expecting something of interest to happen with Bach. What they didn't expect was the kidnapping. Their faces grew pale as the realization of just exactly who had eaten dinner with them, had met Warton at the club dawned their minds. Even Aria had put down her book upon hearing about the Enthusiasts again. As Luna described the mysterious beast and the lucky escape, the haughty attitudes of the Legenfelts completely deflated. By the time Luna had finished, the family members were visibly trembling.

"And that is why I had to come see you," Luna said. "The Enthusiasts will attempt to strip you dry of every material you value and murder you without a second thought. You must prepare for the worst!"

"T-T-THIS IS OBSCENE!" Warton bellowed. "PREPOSTEROUS! Bach was so nice, so _proper!_ To think he was playing me for a sap the whole time, it's…awful."

"W-We need all our guards back here as soon as possible!" Celia cried. "There's no telling how many of those thugs are going to come here!"

"Do not overworry yourselves," Sayo said. "We have already taken steps to protect you and the mansion. As we speak, an acquaintance of ours is at the police station, informing them of the same speech you have heard so that you will be safe."

"And as servants to you, we will fight to protect you as well," Ieyasu added. "We only hope and request that you take this as serious as we are."

"Of course we are!" Aria cried. "Please, do what you can."

"We plan to return here tonight when the Enthusiasts plan to attack. Right now, we request your permission to leave work for today to assist in the investigation into the Enthusiasts," Sayo requested.

"Yes, yes, whatever you want," Warton said in a dismissive frenzy. "We must all pray for Yao's protection tonight. Now go, quickly!"

Sayo and Ieyasu nodded their heads once and left the living room with Luna striding behind. She looked over her shoulder and could see the fear in the Legenfelts' faces. The same maid led them back the way they came and to the side door.

"I hope your task is successful," the maid said as she watched them go outside. "The household will be under a great test tonight."

"With Yao's grace, we will come through," Sayo replied. The maid shut the door. As the group walked back to the cabin, Ieyasu remarked, "That's the first time they've ever wanted us to stop working. Guess we need more robbers to threaten them, huh?"

"Don't even joke, Ieyasu," Sayo admonished. "Come on, let's go. I'm sure the others are waiting back at the village."

The three people jumped back onto the cart. Sayo grabbed the wheel and started it up. Within seconds the cart was back on the trail to the village.

"So, you think it'll all work out in the end?" Ieyasu asked out loud.

"All we can do is hope, Ieyasu," Sayo said. "Both of us have seen how low those Enthusiasts will go. We need to do anything we can to stop them, even if it's to protect the Legenfelts. No one deserves to die for greed."

"Hopefully Air and Fal have not encountered misfortune in our absence," Luna said with worry. "After our ordeal, I confess my nerves regarding them have been stretched tight."

"Don't worry, Tatsumi's tough enough to protect them," Ieyasu reassured her. "He's a mage, you know?"

"That's good to know," Luna said. Sayo thought to herself, _"They're concerned about an attack. I'm more concerned about whether the police visit went off without a hitch."_ She kept her thoughts to herself as she steered the cart back down the long road. The sun was in the middle of the sky as the cart entered Joyou once again. As the cart pulled into the village, Sayo saw Tatsumi, Air and Fal outside their hut, alongside the big man who had helped save their village yesterday. She parked the cart and jumped out with the others.

"Hey, guys!" Tatsumi greeted. "Everything go ok?"

"The Legenfelts were scared silly. I'm sure they're taking enough protective measures," Sayo said. "How'd the police visit go?"

"They're coming up with a plan," Air answered. "And what's more, this guy is going to help us!" she added as she motioned to Bulat. He stepped forward and extended his hand.

"Bulat Humaki, professional mercenary. Nice to meet all of you."

Sayo, Ieyasu, and Luna shook his hand, mesmerized by his figure. "Now then," Bulat said, "We've been here for a few minutes. I'm going to go back to the police station and find out what their plan is. In the meantime, you all should rest up and stay safe. I'll be back here once I know all the details."

"Ya won't need someone to help you back here?" Fal asked.

"I found this place once before, and Tatsumi showed me how to get here from the police station. I'll be fine. Once I come back, all I need is for someone to drive me to the mansion. I'll get off, and they can go back before the action gets heavy. Sounds good?"

"Yeah," Tatsumi answered. Sayo and Ieyasu hesitated to respond. Air, Fal, and Luna just nodded.

"Sweet. I'll see you later, then."

Bulat walked from the hut and back out of the village. As the group saw him go, Sayo muttered, "Darn it, I should have decided already."

"Decide what, Sayo?" Tatsumi asked.

"To tell him to take Ieyasu and me back to the mansion. Like it or not, we have an obligation to protect them. It's definitely going to be dangerous, but…I can't sit still and watch a bunch of thieves assault them."

"Yeah, I get what you mean," Tatsumi replied. "I was thinking of going with him myself."

"Really? You know, there's nothing making you go back."

"Yeah, but those Enthusiasts want to take from the Legenfelts, and they'll hurt, even kill, anyone who gets in their way. I can't in good faith to myself let that happen. I need to help, _somehow_."

Sayo smiled. "It sucks that the army's missing out on someone as honest as you."

Tatsumi blushed. "I'm just doing what I think is right."

"Yeeeaahhh, welllll, that's fine and all, but right now it's past noon and I am _hungry_ ," Ieyasu interrupted. "I'm sure the other girls are, too."

Air, Fal, and Luna looked away from the others, not wanting to admit it. Sayo smirked. "What do you guys say to some cheese biscuits?"

"Aw, yeah!" Fal beamed. The group went into the hut, eager for some lunch.

* * *

 _Unknown Hideout_

"Aggh, dammit," Suka grumbled as he peeled a bandage from his arm. His head was still stinging from the failed attack on the village yesterday. His other wounds were also stinging, which made his mood even nastier. As he walked through the camp, he angrily thought, "Can't believe I got jumped by a little girl with a bow. I'll show her and her little friends not to mess with strangers. Heh, maybe I can warm up on that blonde tomboy the boss collared." He was ripped from his thoughts by a thug shouting, "Suka, we still haven't seen the girls!"

"What?" hissed Suka. Those girls hadn't been seen for more than 12 hours by now. No way in hell could they still be shopping.

"Seems those calves managed to give us the slip. I'll go tell the boss," said Suka as he went over to the big tent, keeping his distance from the snarling, chained animal some distance away. The main man was sitting at a makeshift desk, looking over a map of Jovou.

"Howman! Those little runts you bagged still haven't come back. Want me to send a squad after 'em?"

Bach looked up from the map with a flat expression. "No time. We must take the Legenfelt mansion tonight, and we need everyone present. If the girls have escaped, it'll only be a matter of time before Joyou's police force manages to accumulate enough evidence to locate and convict us. We need to be well beyond the city borders before that happens. Tell the men to pack up and prepare. Make sure the Apeman is handled properly. Tonight, the pompous nobility shall be purged and assimilated for our benefit."

"Yes, sir!" saluted Suka. He quickly went out of the tent, barking orders to the roaming criminals. Bach sighed and went back to examining his map. He felt a hot, itchy, unpleasant sensation on his chest. He scratched the spot yet again, silently contemplating, " _The Legenfelts will be yet another stepping stone to our pursuit of pleasure. In time, all nobles shall be reminded of how vulnerable, how weak they really are. We will plunge our blades into their lying throats. They will scream under the brand of the Enthusiasts and know what it is to be a slave to destiny_."

He smiled, anticipating the eventful night ahead.

* * *

Author's Note

Only one more chapter to revise! After that, completely original content. As always, I encourage you to leave honest reviews so I can improve the quality as needed.

Thanks,

Xakada


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